Someday
by Hayden Lucas
Summary: The further adventures of the iCarly gang...
1. iGo Home Again

**iGo Home Again**

It was a beautiful Wednesday morning in April when Carly Shay walked through the doors of Ridgeway High School for the first time since her own graduation. It felt as though she'd never left. She smiled. It was an old cliché, but it was wrong. You _could_, in fact, come home again.

It took a second for Carly's brain to come back into sync, because her present experience was so far removed from what she knew. She walked through these familiar doors, looking longingly toward her old locker. So many important memories had been made _right there._ It took a moment for her to remember that she was now a stranger in a strange land. She had been gone long enough for things to change, but they were still eerily familiar. She smiled at a slightly awkward freshman boy who reminded her of Freddie Benson. She was typical Carly. When the boy's soft brown eyes met hers, however, they widened in fear and he slowly scrambled away, searching out the safety of the men's room.

Then Carly realized. This boy was too young to have known her, but the Legend of Sam Puckett lived on. The center of Carly's universe had become Ridgeway's own boogie man.

"You're at a disadvantage here…"

Melanie Benson flushed with embarrassment before asking a question of her own.

"What Hell on Earth did Samantha cause here?"

Carly laughed, tossing her hair to one side. She was happy to be back here, however briefly. It made her feel something like her old self again. It was hard for Carly to remember that Melanie hadn't been a Ridgeway Bulldog like the rest of them. Those were the days before four had become two and two had become one.

Melanie was happy to provide her childhood friend with a stroll down memory lane, but she was here for another reason.

_**MOMENTS LATER…**_

Carly felt awkward here. The last time that she walked through these doors, Sam was screaming at Principal Franklin because some dumb jock had called Carly a deplorable name. Just the memory of it turned her stomach. She had since embraced being different. She loved the only one that mattered and they now had a beautiful blended family. They owed explanations to no one. Her brain spiraled back to that moment. She was paying only fleeting attention to the present.

Franklin's secretary spoke into the intercom in a way that told Carly she was nervous about something.

The door flew open and Ted Franklin stood there, impeccably dressed, as always.

"What's the… Oh, would you stop that!"

Ted Franklin's concerned face immediately gave way to a broad, sweeping smile.

"Well hello, _Melanie…_"

The woman behind the desk was thoroughly confused. Franklin obviously knew something she didn't.

_**A HALF HOUR LATER…**_

Carly and Melanie walked through the Ridgeway parking lot, towards Melanie's new car. It was her one present to herself, aside from a new address, since the album had taken off. Melanie was much happier doing for others. This was why she had come to see the only father figure she'd ever known. She loved the feeling she got when she could write a check and give to those who deserved it, especially when she was using additional income which came in, like clockwork, every Monday morning – in cash.

This was the way that Carmine Puckett's other business affairs had come to be handled. He had departed for Florida and retirement, leaving explicit instructions that he was still very much in charge. He was gone, but certainly not dead, buried, and forgotten. His word would be obeyed _to the letter_ or else the consequences would be severe.

To that end, it was simply understood that Carmine's '_associates'_ were to deliver cash to the restaurant, as they always had, but that the Boss was now demanding a tax of fifteen percent, rather than the previous ten. It hadn't gone over well on the lower levels of the organization, but the Boss wasn't to be questioned.

Inflation, Carmine had said. It was simply the cost of doing business.

The pop star had done what she'd done to insulate her family from the discomfort that would undoubtedly come from a life outside of the law. She loved her uncle too much. She didn't condone what some of his employees did, but she rationalized her own actions quite easily. She wasn't hurting anyone if she was taking an equivalent amount of money and doing good with it.

She had handed Ted Franklin three business checks this morning. She had just given away every penny that Uncle Carmine's people had put in the restaurant's safe on Monday evening. With these funds, Ridgeway High's Music Department was getting a generous gift, as well as additional monies going to an endowment to give scholarships to students in need. She had thought immediately of Sam. Ridgeway could now do for future generations what Carly had done for Sam. The final check was of a personal nature. She had set aside a generous portion of her newfound disposable income and earmarked it for the building fund at Ted's church. There was no more noble calling, she felt, than giving back to the man who had meant so much to her in her formative years.

The couple reached Melanie's new car. The alarm beeped twice and it was disarmed. This was ostentatious, especially for Mel, but Carly thought that it suited her. It was certainly a step up from Freddie's used Toyota. She chuckled to herself for the second time already this morning, letting her eyes linger over the custom State of Washington tags on the luxury car.

* * *

><p><strong>MYTHMEL<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>LATER THAT AFTERNOON<strong>_…

Lunch had been wonderful. Melanie and Carly had enjoyed a large _'working lunch'_ at The Palomino as they discussed what was on Melanie's mind. Carly, brilliant though she was, wasn't in a position to go back to being a full-time student – not with two little girls at home.

Carly would have no more of Melanie's charity.

"It's not _charity_, Carly! We're family…"

Carly fussed. Sam was right. The Cupcake was hardheaded.

"Carly…"

Melanie sighed.

"Okay, look… You can't go back to school fulltime with the girls at home… it's just not feasible… but what if I put you on the payroll?"

Melanie talked. Carly listened. Melanie's personal assistant? Melanie explained. She could work from home, ninety plus percent of the time. That sounded do-able. Okay, that was a deal.

Melanie smiled. This was good.

After lunch, Melanie took Carly out to Mercer Island, to see the new house. It was a quiet, super-upscale subdivision. The quarterback of the Cobras lived four houses down. The CEO of Skybucks Coffee was three houses in the other direction. The house immediately next door still had a realtor's sign in the front yard, bearing the words _'ACCEPTED OFFER'_. From the looks of things, it bore an identical floorplan to the new Benson residence.

"What do you think?"

"It's nice… but… wow…"

Carly was confused. Maybe she was just making too much out of this. First and foremost, she and Melanie were friends. Friends talked about random stuff all the time.

"Do you know the new neighbors?"

Melanie answered Carly matter-of-factly.

"Nice couple with young kids, apparently…"

"Oh that's nice…"

Melanie liked the look on Carly's face. She could tell her sister was daydreaming about how _'the other half'_ lived.


	2. iKeep A Secret

**iKeep A Secret**

It was five after seven that evening when the office line rang at the restaurant. It was a number whose use was restricted. There were only about five people who had this number or the right to use it. Sam Puckett answered it after one ring.

"Il Terrazzo Carmine…"

The voice on the other end of the line continued in hurried Italian.

"Sì. Sì, capisco…"

"Scusi?"

This was the only way that things could be done here. Italian was the language of business as usual here. Yes, it was true that the help could understand Sam's half of the conversation, but that didn't matter. She was in charge. She had been installed by Carmine himself. Her decisions were not to be questioned. When she spoke, she spoke on Carmine's behalf. Her word was law, just as though it had come down from on high.

In short, it was none of their damned business.

Sam was flustered, but cracked a smile anyway. It was finally time for English again.

"I'll call you back."

Sam chuckled to herself. She knew that this was the only way for things to be put right. It was certainly not ideal, but it was what needed to be done. She hated playing both sides of the game as it were, but it was for the greater good. She hung up the phone and pulled out her cell.

* * *

><p><em><strong>CALLING… CUPCAKE…<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Hey Honey, it's me…"<p>

This was odd. Sam rarely called her from work. Carly wondered if something was wrong.

"No, Cupcake… no worries…"

Sam needed her to listen. Carly was so stubborn sometimes. It made Sam crazy, regardless of how much she loved her. She heard one of her little girls in the background. Carly had apparently been feeding them when she called.

"I just called to tell you how much I love you… I'll do my best to be home early."

They spoke softly to each other for a moment before hanging up. Sam just didn't have it in her to lay something this heavy on Carls over the phone.

_**MEANWHILE, ON MERCER ISLAND…**_

Melanie's cell phone went off. She didn't even need to look at the Caller ID. She was expecting this call. She excused herself, taking the call on her front porch. She loved Freddie, but this was Family business. The less he knew about it the better it was for all concerned.

She spoke in gentle, flowing Italian. She wanted to keep this as private as possible.

"Sì, assolutamente. Tutto ciò di cui avete bisogno. Ti amo…"

Melanie ended the call. She heard her husband at the door. She wondered how much he'd heard.

"Hey…"

Freddie was immediately concerned. He loved her, but she was as distant as he'd ever seen her. Something was eating at his little mythical blonde from the inside.

"What gives, Mel? Why all the secrecy? You're like a million miles away…"

He slid in next to her on the porch swing. She was a little girl again. Mythical Melanie needed nothing more in the world than to be held. Freddie Benson was all too happy to oblige. Their relationship was unique, but it worked for them. They each essentially lived their own lives – they both had their space – but it worked. Melanie's music was her domain; Freddie's techy stuff was his. They were separate, but together. It was how it needed to be. He held her close, her face burrowed safely into his chest. He hushed her. She needed to know that all was well.

"Look, Sweety… I know who that was on the phone… I always know who it is, the way you talk… so just tell me, what's the matter?"

Melanie lifted her head from her husband's chest, intent on looking him in the face. Her eyes were speckled with weak tears. Freddie expected nothing less. Going a mile a minute would, of course, take its toll.

She looked at him gently, knowing that she was home.

"You know?"

Freddie smiled.

"Of course I knew…"

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"What you need to do is what you need to do. It's not my place to butt in when that relationship is so much older than ours… It's just not –"

Melanie shut him up immediately. She kissed him as deeply as she could. Freddie was afraid that he might pass out. He didn't care. This was the most attention he'd seen in a week. It took a second before it felt warm and familiar, but it did and Freddie was thankful. Life had simply gotten so hectic, it was nearly impossible to find the time for _anything_, let alone intimacy.

Melanie didn't _want_ to stop kissing him, but she needed air. She loved him so much. She would tell him the truth. He needed to know everything. He needed to understand why she'd done what she did. She was doing a good deed at his expense, after all. He needed to understand exactly _why._

It had taken forty-five minutes for Melanie to bring her man up to speed, but the result was rather anti-climactic.

"I'm supposed to be surprised? That's just the way that you work… You can't stand to see people hurt, if you think you can do something…. You _do_ realize, my love, that you can't singlehandedly save the world, though, right?"

This reinforced her love for him. Telling your spouse you'd just burned through more money than most people saw in years – _if ever_ – all for the benefit of others, would have been the end of it for most people. Freddie Benson kissed his wife in the center of her blonde little forehead.

"…But that's just one of the reasons I love you, Mythical Melanie…"

She giggled. She loved being his little Mythical Melanie. It had become his pet name for her. She whispered to him. He was amazing. She wanted him to know that she had a _wonderful_ idea as to how to christen their new home.

_**LATER THAT EVENING AT BUSHWELL PLAZA…**_

Sam had taken the elevator up, not wanting to wake the babies with key-in-lock noise. Carly was waiting up. She was on the sofa, her knees pulled to her chest. Sam ran to her, looking worried.

"Cupcake?"

Carly turned to face Sam, looking sad, yet relieved.

"You're late…"

"Paperwork and traffic, Babe…"

Carly saw right through her lover. Sam was telling her the whole truth.

"Come on, Carls… up to bed… Lord knows when the girls will wake up…"

Carly smiled at her, giggling. All was well now.

"If they're anything like their Mama, as soon as they smell bacon…"

A smirk curled the corner of Sam Puckett's mouth.

"Watch it, Sassmaster…"

Not wasting another second, Sam scooped her little Cupcake into her arms. It was time for sleep. Her secret could keep for another day.


	3. iTake A Day Trip

**iTake A Day Trip**

Carly was an antsy little girl that Saturday morning as Sam loaded her three little Cupcakes into the car for a drive. It had taken Carly a few minutes to realize where they were headed.

"Why are we going to see Freddie and Mel?"

Sam drove and lectured simultaneously.

"Since when does my sister need an engraved invitation to see her nieces?"

Only Sam could answer a question with a question and get away with it. Carly didn't care. All was right in her world. Her babies were snug as bugs in rugs in their car seats. She was sleepy. Newborn twins didn't do much for your sleep cycle. She put the earphones for her PearPod in her ears. Her better judgment wouldn't allow her to nod off until she knew that her babies were safe. Sam smiled at her as the brunette craned her neck towards the back seat.

"They're fine, Cupcake… all they do is eat and smell weird… now get some rest. Mama's got this…"

Before she could tell Sam that she loved her, Carly had fallen asleep.

_**LATER THAT AFTERNOON…**_

Sam pulled into the driveway with three sleepy little cupcakes in tow. Thankfully, Melanie and Freddie took one each, which allowed Sam to wake Carly. She poked the brunette in the ribs gently.

"Rise and shine, Cupcake…"

She was intent on fighting Sam all the way. She mumbled in her dream.

"Mmmmhmmmmpfhmmmm!"

"Carls…"

Carly whined.

"Cupcake…"

Carly didn't want to move, but she could feel Sam close. She instinctively looped her arms around Sam's neck. She felt warm and safe.

Sam carefully undid Carly's seatbelt and carried her from the car as gently as she was able. Carly was comfortable, but she was confused. This didn't seem quite right. Sam held her close, waiting for her to wake up. Freddie helped them navigate to the front of the house. Melanie was busy making silly faces at her nieces. She was happy as could be.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

Carly was now wide awake, but very grumpy. So far as she was concerned, the only blondes she cared about were cooing and gurgling their way across the front lawn. She turned to Freddie Benson and spoke to him, completely ignoring the first generation of Puckett twins.

"And you _knew_ about all of this?"

The young man stammered.

"Yes, but no… Not really… It's not… Melanie…!"

Even grown and married, Freddie Benson was capable of being intimidated by The Artist Formerly Known As Carly Shay.

Carly wasn't having it.

"You're both insane! I love you, but you're insane… Clearly!"

Melanie figured that Sam's precious little Cupcake would behave like this, so she had a witty retort already in mind. She _was_ a Puckett, after all.

"Fine! Then I'll just take it out of your paycheck, _Cupcake_…"

Carly wasn't unhappy, but she wasn't happy either. She was no one's Cupcake but Sam's.

"Sammie! She can't _Cupcake_ me… Tell her she can't _Cupcake_ me!"

Sam had joined her sister in entertaining the babies.

"Tell Mommy she's being silly! All Auntie Mel was doing was being nice… Isn't that right?"

Melanie blew a raspberry into a tiny little stomach and smiled at her niece before looking Carly in the eye.

"If you must know, _Carlotta_…"

Melanie paused. She wanted her sister's better half to _understand_. She didn't have to like it, but Sam's precious little Carly needed to cool it on the sass and listen for five minutes. She continued, repeating herself it underscore her point.

"If you must know, Carlotta… This was for you all and for the girls. I just… well… _you know_…"

Carly finally got it. Melanie was all about family for a reason. Sam did her best to bury her feelings, but Melanie wore hers on her sleeve. Carly thought back to _Psych 101_ and went through a mental profile of what made Mythical Melanie tick. She had no father, an emotionally absent mother. She had an identical twin sister who was – for years – an entire country away. Her family lived outside the law. It was more than enough, Carly figured, to give her mythical sister a complex. The long and the short of it was that Sam and Melanie, working together, used a chunk of Uncle Carmine's money to buy this house both for Melanie and for the twins. Melanie needed to keep her family close, and Sam needed to ensure that her girls weren't headed for juvie, like Mama had been. The money went in to the business account. Melanie wrote Sam a very large check. Sam's bank cut a very large check to the realty company. Realtor made a healthy commission, never once realizing that Melanie Benson had anything whatsoever to do with Samantha Ann Puckett and Carlotta Taylor Shay.

Carly thought it over. It made sense, in a round-about way. "_A leads to B, leads to C, leads to Z_" she thought. Realization dawning for the first time, she understood that it would never make sense to hold a grudge against either of them for what they'd done. They'd done it out of love, with Uncle Carmine ostensibly footing the bill. She figured there was no harm in that. Her precious little angels were Pucketts, and Carmine would want to provide for his family, by any means necessary, she figured.

Sam broke her love from her daydream.

"Ready to see the house, Cupcake?"

Carly loved when Sam held her like this, her arm around her lower back. It was nice. Her fist instinct was to grab the kids, but Sam hushed her.

"Relax… Mel can handle them."

Sam smirked. She couldn't be happier. She'd tried to talk Mel out of doing this thing, but the little Princess could be awful persuasive, especially when she was cursing Sam a blue streak in their native tongue. Sam was, among her many talents, a great fighter, but even the toughest fighter in the world knew when it was better to throw in the towel and live to fight another day. For that piece of wisdom, she'd only needed to look to her friend, Shelby Marx, who had graciously covered for Sam at the restaurant the previous afternoon, when Sam had cut out to meet the realtor, sign her life away, and collect the keys to the home where she and Carls would raise their babies, separated from Auntie Mel and Uncle Freddie by several hundred feet, at best.


	4. iVisit The Bensons

**iVisit The Bensons**

Melanie had played tour guide to Carly and Sam, walking them through the house, as it was identical to her own. She pointed out the high ceilings, the walk-in closet in the bedroom – and made a joke about this one being easy for Sam to come out of – much to her sister's chagrin. By the time they reached the kitchen, however, all was forgotten. Sam was far too enamored with the marble countertops to have cared. Melanie carried on a one-sided conversation with Little Mel, as she called Sam and Carly's youngest.

"See? I told you this would be Mama's favorite room…"

Carly laughed. She knew she and Sam had parenthood pretty well covered, but she wondered if Freddie and Mel didn't deserve it more.

After a cursory walk-through, Freddie suggested they all go over to their place, relax, and enjoy lunch, his niece playfully tugging at the goatee he was attempting to grow. In that moment, Freddie Benson knew that, regardless of what the future might hold, his life with Melanie would be full of light and laughter. He knew Carly's girls would see to that.

_**LATER THAT AFTERNOON…**_

The Benson house was sparsely furnished, yet quite functional. Carly and Sam both knew that the trappings of successful careers would come in time. At the moment, they were concentrating on enjoying a simple lunch, albeit taken to a bit of an extreme, while the girls slept. It seemed to Carly that Freddie had taken to watching the Food Channel with as much rapt attention to detail as Sam usually did. She couldn't tell if Sam was salivating more over the half-pound cheeseburgers and homemade potato chips Freddie had just prepared or the stainless steel appliances that made up the kitchen. She didn't care. It was nice to be able to sit around and talk, just like old times. She turned, shifting her weight, and continued chatting with Melanie, as their respective partners were now all '_buddy-buddy_' in the kitchen.

"Mel, I'm sorry. I shouldn't…"

Melanie waved her off.

"Would you please just hush? Sam and I both love you. Besides, Uncle Carmine made sure that it was paid for in full. Sometimes, it's good being Uncle Carmine's favorites."

Carly felt uneasy, simply knowing that some less than savory characters had provided the funds to buy the home of her dreams. She shot the pretty blonde a knowing look. She read Carly's mind with no effort at all.

"Relax… It's strictly hands-off. Uncle Carmine's boys know that he still calls the shots, even though he's retired. They wouldn't dare…" Melanie paused, carefully considering how to finish the sentence. "…They know better than that."

Leave it to Melanie to be the diplomat. Carly realized that her wife was a mafia princess, but that no harm would ever come to her or the girls. Though Carmine Puckett operated on the fringes of the law, his world was ruled by its own laws. In Carmine's world, his nearest and dearest were immune from collateral damage that may come from that life. Carmine's family was not to be touched. The punishment for disobeying Carmine's directives was severe indeed. Carly knew she could put these thoughts out of her mind and sleep comfortably. Sam was all the protection she would ever need.

Carly saw Melanie's lips moving, but her mind had drifted off into the ether. She picked up the next sentence without missing a beat.

"You know, you're lucky that I called the realtor when I did. It took some doing, but the place belongs to the four of you, free and clear. The houses they just built in the new subdivision just sold, too. I think you'll really like the neighborhood…"

From the tone of Melanie's voice and the subtle hint of a smile forming at the corner of her mouth, Carly knew that there was undoubtedly more to this story. She wouldn't press. Mythical Melanie could have her precious little secrets. Whatever she was hiding, Carly knew that she had her reasons and that they would come to a head sooner or later.

The domestic chit-chat between sisters subsided when they heard Freddie scream. Sam had just hit him across the hand with a spatula. Carly knew this couldn't be good.

"This is _just great, _Sam! You had to hit him and wake the babies! What were you thinking?"

Carly and Melanie paced the living room, bouncing little blondes as they walked.

"Cupcake…"

Carly glared at Sam. She should know better. She was a parent now.

Freddie spoke up. His hand was sore, but didn't hurt nearly as badly as the look on Sam's face made him feel.

"Look, that's my fault…" he began. "We were just screwing around, being dumb, and we got just a little carried away…"

Sam looked Freddie in the eye. He could tell that she was more hurt than he was. She was about to cry, and that was, to her, completely unacceptable. Freddie looked to Carly, his eyes asking her to let the matter drop. He'd never tell her the truth. He knew he'd taken a calculated risk and lost. You wouldn't stick your hand in the lion cage at the zoo, but that was essentially what Freddie had done. Trying to swipe food from Sam Puckett's plate had gotten him what he deserved.

Freddie Benson was the only boy on the planet who could give Carly puppy dog eyes and win her over. She wanted to be mad at Sam, but if Freddie refused to, she knew that she couldn't. She shifted little Ashley's weight on her hip and kissed the little girl on her forehead.

"Why can't I be mad at Mama, huh? She hurt Uncle Freddie and I can't stay mad at her, honey… Why?"

As if to answer her mother, little Ashley Puckett made a silly little gurgly noise. Carly took her cue from her little one and answered the little girl.

"Oh, so me and Mama should just kiss and make up?"

Sam shot Carly a look and raised her eyebrow, egging her on, at least until Melanie doused that idea with ice water. She'd seen that look before.

"Oh no… Not in here, you don't! If you're going to do that, the guest bedroom's down the hall!"

Sam groaned. Leave it to the Princess to ruin all of her fun.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

At Freddie's insistence that one little kitchen mishap not spoil their day, the foursome settled in on the large sofa, laughing and talking like old times, as the twins had fallen asleep chasing each other around the living room floor.

Sandwiched between Freddie and her Cupcake, Sam Puckett did something she had only done twice before in her life. She turned away from Carly and kissed Freddie gently on the cheek, much to everyone else's disbelief. She whispered in his ear, quietly enough so that the moment was shared only between them.

"Thanks…"


	5. iGo Domestic

**iGo Domestic**

It was a quiet night at the _Aspira_ building. Wendy sat at the kitchen table, working on the papers she needed to file in King County Circuit Court in the morning in order to change her surname and legally become Wendy Marx.

Shelby walked into the living room from the converted bedroom office, half dressed. Shelby's blouse and blazer were missing, leaving her in a sports bra and very professional looking skirt. She'd just recently come home from another night as a TV talking head. The broadcasting deal that Shelby had retired from competition to take – at Wendy's urging – was every bit as lucrative as it first appeared to be and more. In addition to the original agreement, which saw her become the first female commentator in CFC history, she had argued for – and received – her own weekly cable show dedicated to her sport. The network execs weren't stupid enough to say no to the two-time women's champion, who had retired undefeated. _Fight Night with Shelby Marx_ had just aired for the very first time, and the champ was happy to be home. She talked _at,_ rather than to, Wendy.

"Love?"

Wendy knew exactly what her partner needed.

"It's over there, on the thing!"

Shelby shook her head in amusement. Her little Wendy was like her own personal GPS. There was her new cell phone, right where Wendy said it would be, sitting on top of the bookcase, blinking away furiously at her. She clearly had missed a call or two.

"Oh, Honey? Sam Puckett called while you were at the studio…"

Shelby smirked. _Leave it to Wendy._

Now retired, Shelby had a better handle on her net worth. She had decided that it was time to spend more than a little bit of money. She'd found a beautiful house in the suburbs and knew that it would be better for Wendy and Megan than spending a small fortune on a monthly basis to stay here, as nice as the brand new building was.

Shelby crossed the living room, stopping briefly to pick Megan up from her playpen, kiss the crown of her head gently, and set her back down before moving on to the kitchen and Wendy. The tall brunette peered over her partner's shoulder, at the series of legal documents whose blanks she was filling in with the requisite personal information. Shelby kissed Wendy's neck gently. It was evident by Shelby's enthusiasm, however, that this was something that she hadn't done in quite a while.

"So… What did Sam want, my love?"

Wendy giggled. Shelby's breath was tickling the hairs on her neck.

"She…she didn't say… just that she needed to talk to you about something…"

Shelby reached around the back of the kitchen chair, wrapping her arms around Wendy's midsection in a strange hug. Shelby Marx was a lot of things, but the one thing she was, above all, was old-fashioned. What she wanted, more than anything else, was a quiet life with her wife, daughter, and friends. She didn't _need_ fame and fortune and everything that went along with it, although it was certainly nice.

Shelby had taken the past month since her retirement from the ring to reflect on a life that she felt had passed her by. She didn't need to be Shelby Marx, the undefeated women's champion, Shelby Marx the pay-per-view spectacle, or Shelby Marx, the commodity, on the cover of _Ring_ magazine. She simply wanted to be _Shelby_, loved by her grandmother, partner, and friends.

"Shel?"

Shelby shook the cobwebs from her brain. She hadn't realized Wendy was talking.

"You scared me for a second… you had that look like after your fights… the lights were on, but you weren't there…"

Shelby blushed. She was a fighter by trade, but she wasn't always a stone cold killer. Wendy always made her heart melt like it was the very first time.

"Wen… Sweety… I was just..."

Shelby knew it would go nowhere. She simply kissed her partner forcefully on the cheek and tousled her fiery hair.

"You worry too much! Get back to work!"

Wendy chuckled, returning to the keyboard. She was doing all of this because of Shelby, after all. This was just how things needed to be.

Shelby crossed the living room again, sweeping up her daughter and cell phone in successive motions. A bright smile crossed her face with the wiggly little girl in her arms.

"Mama's got you, Pumpkin… Who's Mama's big girl, huh?"

Megan cooed at Shelby, happy as a clam.

Shelby, a bounce in her step, took their little girl into the back bedroom, which had been converted into Shelby's office and trophy room.

The room was small, but it accommodated Shelby's framed news articles and magazine covers nicely. There, above her desk, sat her two heavyweight championship belts. The desk itself held very few items. Shelby Marx the fighter was over the top. Shelby Marx the human being was a minimalist. She believed in keeping her space very much _'just so'_. She supposed that was the product of spending so much time in her grandmother's care. There, flanking her laptop, were three framed photographs. To the left, her very favorite photograph in the entire world – her first date with Wendy. It was the very same photo that had been taped to her dressing room mirror before each and every fight since they had been together. This was Shelby's entire motivation for doing what she did. She strapped on the gloves and took a beating for Wendy. Wendy was what gave her the fire in her belly to do what she did. It was Wendy who helped her see that she'd finally _'cleared all the stuff out of the basement'_ and that it was time to hang it all up. She'd done this for Wendy's sake alone. Shelby was good at what she did, but when the fiery little redhead came in to her life, it was a game changer. To the right was a framed photo of Shelby Marx in the ring with Carly Shay, following their charity exhibition. Barely visible in the corner of the frame, a battered Nevel Papperman lay slumped on the canvas.

She set her phone on the desk, and snatched up her earpiece from next to the keyboard. She had her hands full with the wiggly little redheaded mess in her lap.

Before she could think about it, she was nearly deafened. The phone rang directly into her right ear. She took the call.

"Yo, Puckett… What's up?"

"Uh huh… was out…"

"With the rug rat right now… Yeah… I'll come by the restaurant on Monday morning, cool?"

"Awesome… Give our love to Carls, your sister, and that boy of hers. Cool. Bye."

Shelby smiled, holding her chunky little girl in her lap.

"Mama's friend kind of silly huh, Peanut? Wanting Mama to come out tonight... Sorry, but only two girls get Mama's attention tonight, right?"

Megan Marx giggled happily in Shelby's lap. It would be a nice evening at home.


	6. iHave A Surprise For You

**iHave A Surprise For You**

Shelby Marx awoke the next morning bright and early – at half past four – her body reacting on instinct alone. She was midway through her fifty-seventh pushup before her brain told the rest of her that she could stop. _She was retired._ She had a family now.

She had barely broken a sweat. She decided to crawl back into bed. She wanted to be with Wendy. Megan would, with any luck, allow them another hour of sleep. It was different. It was downright difficult at times, but this was what she had wanted from the very beginning. Her upbringing was hard and never in her wildest dreams had she thought that this would ever be possible. By the time her head hit the pillow again, the retired champion was wearing an ear-to-ear grin and not much more.

"You're so damn predictable, you know that?"

Wendy's voice was lilting and soft, tinged with sleep. She was in that no-mans-land between Sleep and Awake. Shelby chuckled and drew her close. All was right in her tiny sliver of the world. She dozed off, her face lolling forward onto Wendy's chest.

_**ACROSS TOWN…**_

Carly Puckett awoke with a start. _She had overslept!_ The girls had typically been bathed, fed, changed, and dressed by this point. She had taken the stairs at a bit of a run, her bare feet slipping as she hit the first floor landing. Carly nearly threw herself down the stairs, in search of her children. She heard Sam before anything else.

"Chillax, Cupcake… They're fine…"

Sam was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Carly glanced around the room for her precious little ones, but missed the obvious until Sam pointed to the sofa. The girls were right there – in plain sight – gurgling away, rocked gently in the arms of their Uncle Spencer. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to introduce them to the phenomenon that was _Girly Cow_.

Carly's mother hen instinct told her to snatch her babies up and hold them close. The rational part of her brain told her, however, that the girls were sleeping, safe, and sound just where they were. She knew that Spencer would never do anything to put them at risk. Fan of Hammers not withstanding, Spencer Shay was a perfectly responsible adult-ish type figure.

"Carls, come have breakfast…" Sam persisted.

Sam's love looked torn. On the one hand, she had missed Mommy Time with her little ones. On the other, there was breakfast.

"_Cupcake…. Breakfast…_"

Sam pleaded with her. She knew Carly would give in to her.

Carly smiled. Sam had made her a big fluffy stack of pancakes with… with… _were those Gummy Bears? _That tore it. Sam was officially insane.

Spencer spoke up.

"Go on… The little drool monsters are out cold…"

Carly had to laugh. Leave it to her brother to call her precious little angels monsters. Coming from the man who had once turned his video camera into a squirrel, however, she saw a certain cuteness in it. She chose to leave things be and went off in search of her Gummy Bear pancakes.

_**TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER…**_

For the second time in as many days, the Puckett family made the trip to Mercer Island to visit Freddie and Melanie. Carly had no idea why this was necessary, but she also knew better than to argue with Sam. They had just toted the babies and various small-child miscellany through the front door when they heard it. It was a sound that neither of them had heard in quite a while, but it was a sound they would never forget. Next, all they could hear was Melanie.

"Good kitty… Be a good kitty and come to Mommy…"

Sam could only roll her eyes. It was Frothy.

"Where on Earth has he been?"

"Recently? Freddie found him in a box as we were unpacking this morning. Usually, he's pretty good and tends to hide under the bed…"

Sam thought this was ridiculous. She knew that cats and small children weren't good bedfellows, but she had to admit that the Princess had him looking rather un-Frothy-like.

With a bright smile and an offer of food, Frothy hopped from the open kitchen cupboard into Melanie's arms.

"I'll be right back"

Melanie cradled the cat as though she were rocking one of her own precious nieces. Sam shot Freddie a look.

"Sup there, Fredward? Bet you're happy you didn't lose the cat."

Freddie smiled. The truth was that he didn't mind the cat in the slightest. He wished he could have a moment or two alone with Sam. He wanted to be alone – just the two of them – so they could speak the truth between each other. He adored his wife, but he also would share something special with her sister. They simply did what they did best.

"Hey…"

Freddie made small talk with Carly and Sam until Melanie returned. Fearful of getting the babies sick, Melanie had scrubbed up like a trauma surgeon before coming anywhere near the kids. Even Carly thought that this was ridiculous. Carly told her it was perfectly safe to give the girls a little bit of love. Mythical Melanie didn't need to be told twice.

_**ELSEWHERE…**_

Driving home from the courthouse, Wendy was beaming. She had never felt happier, save for the day that Megan came into the world. She was absolutely elated. She and Shelby had made their union official months ago, on the morning of Shelby's final fight. Today, having legally adopted her partner's surname, the former Wendy Miller couldn't think of anything to say. Shelby answered for her.

"I love you too, Wendy Sue…"

Wendy loved when Shelby was silly like this – when they finished each other's sentences and thoughts. She was taking in every beautiful line of her partner's face from the passenger seat when Shelby took an unfamiliar turn. She _zigged_ when she was supposed to have _zagged_.

"Shels… Where are we going?"

"Nowhere, Pumpkin… just taking a bit of a ride…"

Wendy didn't buy it.

"Shelby…" she whined in that cute little way that most people found grating, but only your true love could appreciate.

"It's a surprise, my love…"

Wendy's eyes lit up.

"Surprise?"

"Hush-a-bye, Princess… just relax and let me do what I do…"

Shelby playfully stuck her tongue out. She enjoyed being playful and a bit of a tease when it was just the two of them.

Wendy gave her lady-love a look that would rival Carly Shay for '_Queen of the Sassmasters_'.

Shelby spoke again, not even trying to hide the grin forming on her face.

"I've got a present for you, that's all…"

Wendy didn't understand. Her birthday wasn't for another month and a half, while their anniversary was nearly three months away.

She didn't care. She was happy enough to be Missus Shelby Marx. She was perfectly content to be along for the ride.


	7. iHeart To Heart

**iHeart To Heart**

The Puckett twins looked out from the kitchen at their respective partners, who had fallen asleep together on the sofa like children. Carly's head had lolled sidelong onto Freddie Benson's chest. She was holding onto him the way she did Sam. Melanie spoke up first.

"They _are_ awful cute like that, you know. I don't know if I have the heart to wake either of them."

Sam turned. There was that familiar glint in her eye. Melanie knew it well.

"Yeah, me either… I… they're not _cute_… well, Carls is… She hasn't been sleeping much…"

Melanie threw her arm gently around her sister's waist, the way only Carly otherwise could. She drew her sister close.

"Relax, Samantha. It's alright."

Melanie knew how Sam felt about Freddie. She knew her sister couldn't articulate those feelings. For Sam Puckett, they were simply too awkward. Melanie knew she had to give her sister an _'out'_. She knew the best way was to pick on Sam the way only she could.

"What's wrong, Sam? Don't want to say it? Afraid you might _'in'_ yourself instead of the other way around?

Sam shoved her sister in the shoulder. She knew she was playing.

"Shut up…"

Melanie looked her sister in the eye. Sam could tell she was being serious.

"He loves you, you know…"

The words made Sam Puckett's skin crawl, though she knew that they were true, on some nerdy little tech-boy level. Sam felt uncomfortable in her own skin. She knew that in order to say what needed to be said, she would need intimacy. Sam gazed back at her sister. Melanie could tell that she was straining to hold back her emotions.

"Let's take a walk, Mel…"

"I'll get the girls ready… just wait out front…"

Sam was protective of her babies, but she knew that the Princess was different. It was in their shared DNA. They were different, yet very much the same. In keeping with her personal habit, she scribbled a note on the pad Mel had left on the countertop explaining where they'd gone and headed for the door.

_**OUTSIDE…**_

Her hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans, Sam paced the front porch. She felt sick to her stomach. First off, this was Mercer Island. Only the best, brightest, and most privileged lived here. She was nothing special. Her sister was the one who had earned the right to live here – not her. Secondly, what she and Mel needed to discuss was tearing up her insides. It made her feel less than human. It was like everything she knew was wrong. Sam Puckett didn't believe in much, but the one thing she did believe in – aside from Carly's unconditional love – was that her sister would always have her back. As much as they used to fight, Sam knew that Mythical Melanie would always have her best interests at heart.

Melanie emerged from the house wearing a Seattle University hoodie that matched her sister's. She pushed the double stroller, her two inquisitive little nieces jabbering amongst themselves. With Sam's help, they navigated the three slight steps at the front of the house with relative ease. They didn't speak again until they were down the block, in front of the palatial home belonging to the star quarterback of the Seattle Cobras.

"Mel… we… _Gah!_... I don't know how to say this…."

Melanie knew exactly what Sam was driving at. Her sister was fortunate that aside from her musical talents, she excelled in her Psych classes at Seattle U.

"You love my husband. I get it, Samantha… Really, it's not as strange as you're making it out to be…"

There was a soft chuckle in her voice. Sam looked at her sister as though she had three heads. She may as well have. Sam thought that the years of living with Pam had finally gotten to her. She thought Melanie had finally cracked.

"ARE YOU NUTS? It's completely flipping strange! It's sick! He's yours… He's The Nub…. He's…. He's…"

Sam was getting whipped up, but trying to keep it all inside. She didn't want to scare her babies.

Melanie spoke, her voice cool and even.

"_Samantha…_ I'm not saying you're _in love_ with him, just that you love him… I know that Carly makes your world keep spinning, but Freddie's been your friend since before I can remember. He's your brother-in-law and I know that there's something that you _swore_ he and you would never do again…"

Melanie's mind flashed back to the night of her and Freddie's first kiss, while Sam's went to that night on the fire escape. Sam went pale.

"Of course I knew, Samantha… I know you… and besides that… he's…"

Sam glared at her. Melanie knew better than to go there.

"Okay… but you know what I mean. You can love him differently than you love Carly. Really, Honey, it's okay…"

For Sam, the notion of love was always a thorny issue. It was what got her slapped around – or worse – in childhood. It was what separated her from her peers. It took her years to realize that she wasn't the only person in the world who felt this way. Love was reserved for two people in the entire world. Sam would give her sister and her Cupcake everything that she had to give. It didn't compute in her brain that there was any room for the Nub, despite everything he had ever done for her.

Melanie rested her head on her little sister's shoulder as they walked. She knew Sam understood, even if she didn't say so.

"You know what, Sam?"

"Huh?"

The twins jabbered in the stroller, momentarily breaking Sam's concentration. Melanie continued.

"Everything I have is because of you, and I love you dearly for it. You've given me a charmed life, sometimes at your own expense, and I want to tell you how wonderful you are. I wish I could just think of a way to repay you…"

The sparkle in her sister's eye told Sam everything. They both knew that Melanie had paid back every good deed Sam had ever done her, with interest.

Melanie's cell phone chirped at her. She checked it, glancing briefly at the text message.

"Oh, Fat Cakes! They're already at the house…. We have to go back…"

"Who?"

"Houseguests, Samantha…"

The smug smile on her sister's face told Sam that another shoe was about to drop today.


	8. iCome To Call

**iCome To Call**

Even from a distance, Sam could make out the car and the custom plates. She should be able to. She'd seen them often enough. She simply had no idea what the car or its occupants were doing in her sister's driveway.

Sam gave her sister the same look she'd seen Uncle Carmine give the cops when he knew that that charge was bogus.

"Seriously?"

"What, Sam? Can't I be hospitable?"

Sam thought for a moment. Sure, her sister could be hospitable. She could be as hospitable as she liked. The fact remained that it still made no sense to her whatsoever.

Sam looked down at her feet. She gave the classic ride the once-over, shaking her head. She still couldn't believe it. She let her eyes linger on the tags again, wondering if she'd somehow misread them. She knew she hadn't.

* * *

><p><strong>KOQUEEN<strong>

* * *

><p>Wendy made it out of the car first. The minute that their eyes met, Melanie took off running, wrapping her new BFF into a big, girly hug. Sam wondered who was squealing louder, her sister or the three small children.<p>

_"Hiiiiiii!"_

Shelby exited the driver's side, looking nice and butch in her leather jacket and jeans, her hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. She smiled at Sam.

"Hey…"

"Sup, Kid?"

Sam walked over to greet her friend, throwing her into an embrace. She was still quite surprised, not knowing why her friend was there. Shelby finally provided an answer, such as it was.

"We were in the neighborhood, and thought we'd drop by…"

That was bull and Sam knew it. Melanie finally spoke up.

"So I invited some friends over… so sue me, Samantha…"

All Sam could do was roll her eyes.

_**MOMENTS LATER…**_

Melanie Benson, ever the hostess, ushered the couple into her home. Shelby entered first, while Megan clung to her mommy. Melanie was embarrassed. Carly and Freddie, though awake, were still lounging on the sofa, still groggy.

"Please excuse the mess…"

The fighter shot her friend a confused look. Sam shrugged. Everything was in perfect order, aside from one small blanket, still strewn across the sofa, where Carly had been napping. Sam couldn't offer any explanation other than the fact that her sister was a neat freak. Melanie believed that everything had its place. Carly and Freddie looked to one another, lost as to why they now had houseguests. He smiled at Shelby. He didn't care one way or the other about the fact that she was with Wendy. He would always find her striking. Shelby noticed him noticing her, and smiled brightly.

"How's it hangin', Raisin Toast?"

"Hi, Shelby…"

Wendy and Melanie had settled onto the recently vacated sofa and were gabbing away as though they hadn't seen one another in months, a baby in each of their laps.

"Come on, Pumpkin, go say hi to Auntie Carly…"

Wendy tried to hand chunky little Megan over to Carly, but it wasn't without incident. No sooner had the chunky little redhead made her way to Carly Puckett's arms, Ashley Puckett began to wail at the loss of her playmate. Melanie did her best to gently soothe her niece, bouncing her gently.

"See? She's right there, Sweety… Mommy's not going to take her away…"

Carly sat on the floor at Melanie's feet, so the children could maintain eye contact and talk to themselves in a language only they understood. Carly found her little girl much more pleasant when those tiny little lungs were used for good, rather than for evil.

Melanie Benson, ever the perfectionist, brought everyone up to speed. Freddie knew that she'd been cooking up a storm over the past day and a half, yet every time he would question her, she would shush him and banish him to their rec room to go play with his tech toys. His Mythical Princess had inherited her sister's personality.

_**A SHORT TIME LATER, OVER COFFEE…**_

It had been a late brunch or quite an early dinner, whichever way you looked at it. Melanie had shared plans for her follow-up album with them. She would go back to work in the studio in the Fall, with Carly joining Team Melanie as her personal assistant. Freddie had a project or two he was working on, simply to push the limits of his own curiosity. At this point, he was contented with his dual lives as college student and house-husband. He was perfectly okay with being Mythical Melanie's kept boy.

Sam, of course, filled her day with the daily operations of _Il Terrazzo Carmine_, and, on occasion, exerted influence over Carmine's other business interests as well. She, of course, would never share this, but Melanie clearly knew. The way she discussed the day-to-day affairs of the restaurant could leave little room for alternative interpretation. Carly began to squirm, so Melanie deflected the conversation. She would save her sister's backside, even from Sam herself.

There were a number of small changes Sam wanted to make to the décor of the place over the next few months. She had brought this up for a particular reason. Shelby was paying attention and offered up her two cents casually, so as to appear that this wasn't completely by design.

"Oh! I'm sure Wendy can help with some design ideas, Couldn't you, Honey?"

Wendy Marx blushed, turning as red as her hair.

"I'm not _that good_…"

Carly shushed her.

"Oh come on! I remember high school! How many awards did you win?"

Shelby gave her partner a sly look. Wendy blushed furiously.

Sam and Wendy both knew that they'd be working together, so they simply let the matter drop.

Shelby turned to face her partner. She looked into those warm eyes that she loved so much. She knew that she had to come clean. She needed to tell Wendy the truth and let everyone else – well, almost everyone else – in on the secret.

"Wendy, Honey… Now, please don't be mad…"

A knot tightened in Wendy Marx's throat. This could not _possibly_ be good.

"Remember the other night?"

"Yeah…."

"Well, Sweety, I wasn't at the studio all day, like I told you…"

Wendy was crestfallen.

"WHAT?"

Sensing that her love had completely the wrong idea, Shelby backtracked, pausing just a bit longer than intended. Melanie Benson jumped in.

"Wendy, it's not what you think… Shelby gave me a call and came out here… asking me for some help, since she was kind of racing the clock on this thing…"

Now Wendy was thoroughly confused. She looked to her lady, her eyes begging for an answer.

"Well, you're the one who's always going on about being a responsible parent…"

Wendy thought she would go cross-eyed. She looked through Shelby, completely unable to read her. This was working out almost better than Shelby could have imagined.

"I love you, Babe, but you're not making a lick of sense…."

Shelby giggled. A stupid, slightly evil-looking grin flashed across her face.

Wendy knew something was up. She kept her voice down, but from her tone, even Shelby knew she was in trouble.

"Shelby Jane Marx! What did you do?"

"Nothing…"

_Uh oh, Wendy was giving her that 'Sent to the Principal's Office' look._ She was in trouble.

"_Shelby…"_

The champion smiled, stood up, and then proceeded to drop to her knee, just as she'd done once before.

"Wendy, I did what I promised you I'd do. You wanted me to quit fighting? I'm done. I promised you I'd give you and the little one the best life I could, so here…"

Shelby dug into the pocket of her jeans and handed her partner the most innocuous of objects.

"What is this?"

It was plainly obvious _what _it was, although the meaning still hadn't registered. Shelby had just handed her a freshly cut house key. Carly, Sam, and Freddie glanced between one another. Melanie and Shelby grinned at each other, the only people in the room who knew the truth. Shelby let Melanie explain, for everyone's benefit. She blushed furiously, quite pleased with herself.

"You see… I _kinda sorta maybe_ put Shelby in touch with our realtor, who _kinda sorta_ sold her the house in the next subdivision…"

Wendy wept. This was _so_ unnecessary.

"Shelby…."

Shelby Marx held her little redhead. She was a happy woman. She was very proud of herself. Wendy's happiness had been worth every moment of secrecy.


	9. iKeep It In The Family

**iKeep It In The Family**

Sam sat in her office at the restaurant, going over the receipts for the weekend. This was the problem with Monday mornings. The restaurant could run itself over the weekend and they could begin the new week flush with cash, but Sam hated the tedium of paperwork that went along with it. Where was Melanie when Sam needed her? She was the one who enjoyed this shit. However, the fact that there were dollar signs in front of these big numbers made it a bit more palatable.

There was a knock on her door. There was a standing order that she not be disturbed, so the young man at her door got the Death Look.

"My apologies, Ma'am, but there's a Miss Marx here asking to see you…"

Sam spoke quickly to him in Italian. They were, under no circumstances whatsoever, to be disturbed. Did he presume to question her authority? If he did, she would speak to Carmine.

Hearing the name of the Boss, the young man crossed himself, as though he had just entered church.

Sam told him to show Shelby in and shut the door behind her. Their conversation was private and he would lose an ear if he decided to listen in. She escorted the pretty young woman into Sam's office, excused himself, and shut the door as he left.

The brunette hugged her as soon as they were alone. This was her place of business, of course, but they had become the closest of friends. It was just what came naturally to them.

Shelby Marx was dressed to kill. The staff had no idea that she had recently made her living with her fists. She could well have been a lawyer, as polished as she looked. She unzipped her shoulder bag, reached in, and removed a black hardbound book, passing it across the table to Sam. The blonde flipped through it, a smirk crossing her face. She shut the book, passed it back across the desk, and opened her top right desk drawer.

Shelby spoke.

"Sam, about this…"

Sam was looking down at the ledger open on her desk. She waved her friend off.

For Sam Puckett, this wasn't _'show friends'_, this was _'show business'_.

She tore a check from the ledger and passed it to Shelby.

"Here. This is to get things started. If it's not enough, let me know. There's plenty more to go around."

Shelby looked at the check Sam had just handed her, made payable to Wendy Marx. For what Sam had proposed, ten thousand dollars was more than adequate, it was excessive. The champion knew that Sam was paying a premium based solely on what Wendy meant to her as an old friend. It was sweet, but certainly not necessary.

"Sam, this is…"

Sam smiled.

"Business is business."

The phone rang. Sam glared at it before answering. She had given them specific instructions not to disturb her. She answered on the first ring.

"YES?"

Sam gave the young man on the phone, calling from the front of the restaurant, an explicit lecture in Italian. He was to give the woman anything she required, with no questions asked. Did he understand her? He did and was quite sorry for disturbing her. His only concern was a crying baby being a distraction for the staff.

Sam reminded him that he worked for her and that _she _would decide what was or was not a distraction.

She hung up the phone and returned to her conversation with Shelby.

"It's so hard to find good help these days…"

Shelby chuckled and they returned to the business at hand.

Sam passed over a large brown nine-by-twelve business envelope.

"I think you'll find everything in order…"

Shelby took the envelope and opened it. Inside, she found a fifteen page document filled with small type and legalese. It was intense, but nowhere near the contract Melanie and Uncle Carmine had signed. It didn't need to be. Sam, wanting to keep this off the radar, had enlisted the help of Carly's grandfather, still one of the state's better attorneys, even though he was nearing retirement.

Shelby smirked.

"Yeah, I think we can swing this…"

Sam was happy. She had, of course, discussed it with her sister, since all business decisions _technically_ required the Princess's approval.

Melanie couldn't have cared less. What Sam wanted to do was fine with her. The restaurant business was Sam's niche. This was what Sam did better than anything.

Sam passed Shelby the expensive Mont Blanc fountain pen and slid back in her chair.

_**ACROSS TOWN…**_

Carly and Freddie had a date. It was their first in a while, but it was a date that they could handle. They sat on the bench, hand in hand, watching the girls play.

"You know, you really _are_ an amazing guy… Melanie's so lucky…"

Freddie blushed.

Little Melanie was now crawling directly toward her mother. Carly scooped her up quickly and turned the conversation toward her little girl.

"What do you think, Munchkin? Uncle Freddie is pretty special, isn't he?"

The tiny blonde flailed her arms in his direction, asking to be held. Freddie drew her close, kissing her gently.

Carly smiled at him.

"You know… Freddie… just… thanks for being awesome…"

She rested her head on his shoulder. She was happy.

_**BACK AT IL TERRAZZO CARMINE…**_

Sam had just faxed the final papers to Yakima. She led Shelby out of the office and towards the front of the restaurant. They found her there, contentedly munching on a cheese omelet, which her squirmy little one kept trying to pick at. Shelby kissed them, one after the other, on the tops of their heads.

"There's Mama, Sweetheart… I told you she'd come back. Go say Hi to Auntie Sam…"

Wendy passed her little rug rat, sucking on her tiny fist, over to Sam. The blonde let down her façade. She was warm and bubbly. It was a sight the staff had never seen. They didn't know who this brunette was, how she knew this redhead, or where the baby fit in, but it was obvious that they mattered a great deal to the Boss's niece. They knew better than to ask questions.

Sam passed the little redhead back to Wendy and smiled.

"You start next Monday. Shelby has all the details. Anything you need, let me know."

Wendy didn't know what to say or what to expect. Where Sam Puckett was concerned, she knew she'd better be prepared for anything.


	10. iFinally Get Some Down Time

**iFinally Get Some Down Time**

Carly sat in Melanie's kitchen sipping a cup of tea. She had the most amazing sister-in-law in the world. How many others would volunteer to put her babies down for a nap so she, Carly, could get a well-deserved rest?

The petite blonde came into the kitchen, practically skipping. She was clearly very happy. The twins had this effect on her. Carly had no idea if that was due to Mythical Melanie being a twin herself, the children biologically being Pucketts, or what the reason might be, but they certainly made Melanie's day.

The two whispered to each other.

"Are they…?"

"Oh Carly, _please_… out like a light."

It may have been lunchtime on a Friday, but Melanie made sure to serve her sister's better half nothing but the best chamomile tea. She herself would drink it before going to bed or after a particularly hard day, but she knew that Carly needed to relax. Being All Mommy, all of the time was more than enough, she figured, to wear you out. Besides which, Melanie had nowhere in particular to be today. She could sacrifice an hour or so to make sure that three very precious people in her life got their required beauty sleep.

Carly let out a weak yawn mid-sentence. Melanie giggled, asking just how early she'd gotten up this morning. The Cupcake blushed.

"Between the girls and Sam, I've been up since about four thirty. I'll lay back down, but your sister – you know – kind of a blanket hog, so I freeze to death…"

Melanie couldn't help but giggle. That certainly sounded like her sister. Carly smiled at her. Melanie knew that those beautiful brown eyes were heavy. She took the brunette by the hand and led her to the living room sofa, tucking her in, just as she had the little ones.

"You get some rest… I have no idea why people think you stop needing a nap after age five…"

Within a few minutes, Sam's little Cupcake was dead to the world.

Melanie heard a strange buzzing sound. She realized that Carly's cell phone was now vibrating its way across her kitchen table. She didn't even bother to glance at the Caller ID before answering.

"Hello, Samantha…"

_**ACROSS TOWN AT IL TERRAZZO CARMINE…**_

Sam was thoroughly confused. She double-checked her call log. She hadn't misdialed, yet she ended up with her sister.

Melanie explained that Carly and the girls were all in dreamland, but she'd take a message, if that's what Sam wanted.

"Nah, Princess. Just tell her… well… _ya know_…"

Melanie knew that Sam wanted to tell Carly all the sweet, mushy things that she herself told Freddie on a nightly basis. It was pretty clear. She got it.

"Oh… and… Hey… would you mind if I stopped by later?"

Of course Melanie didn't mind. The sisters said their goodbyes and planned to meet up at the house as soon as Sam could get away.

_**TWO HOURS LATER…**_

Carly was slow to wake up. Her brain wasn't at full speed, but she seemed to remember nodding off.

"Sam…."

She was still hovering in the ether, in that dead zone between sleep and consciousness. Her brain was still off in la-la land, allowing the randomness in her brain to rule the day. Her mind wanted to stay off in that place that allowed her peace and serenity. She felt warm and cozy and didn't want to move for days.

"Sam…."

The peace of her moment was shattered by a single shriek.

Carly's eyes flew open to meet beautiful blue ones, though not the ones she was expecting. She found herself nose to nose with little Ashley, who had – _God only knew how_ – climbed her way onto the sofa and Carly's chest from the floor. Her sister felt content to entertain herself by cruising around the living room floor. She was intrigued by Auntie Mel's things. She knew that Mommy and her sister were around, and that was all that mattered.

Mythical Melanie sat back, taking it all in from the kitchen. She loved having her family here. It was comfortable enough when it was her and Freddie. She adored her man, but she loved having Carly, Sam, and the babies here. It made her house feel like a home. She sprang into action, seeing the little child's eyes go wide over her most extravagant possession, the framed album art from her debut CD.

She was at the child's heels in no time. She scooped the little girl into her arms, whispering sweetly to her.

"You like that, sweet pea? It is kinda pretty, huh?"

The child giggled.

"Come on, you… Let's go find your sister… What do you think?"

Melanie walked briskly to the sofa, little girl in tow. No sooner had the Puckett twins been reunited, they erupted in a peal of high-pitched, joyous laughter. The blonde smiled at her sister-in-law.

"Are they always like this, Carls?"

Carly beamed.

"Yeah, pretty much… Welcome to my world…"

_**LATER THAT DAY…**_

It was late in the day. Carly and Melanie were discussing the business of being pop music's newest '_It Girl'_, while Carly and Sam's little drool monsters entertained themselves on the living room floor. Melanie had put on the _Dingo Channel_, hoping the bright colors and random jumping would keep the girls occupied long enough for Mommy and Auntie Melanie to something accomplished.

"So… would I have to go with you?"

Carly was concerned about the upcoming tour dates. Melanie had her schedule set, and as part of her official entourage, Carly knew that she needed to be at her sister's beckon call. The thought of leaving Sam and her little angels behind for months was turning her stomach. Melanie brushed aside the brunette's concerns as though they were nothing at all.

"Yes, but before you get yourself all whipped up, just hear me out…"

Carly didn't like this. The little diva was essentially telling her to calm down. The last time someone told her to calm down, Carly'd left the Idiot Man Child with bruises.

"Carly…"

Carly had zoned out. Where was Sam when she needed her? She needed her lady to come back so she could get swingy on Mythical Melanie.

"Carly?"

The brunette's brain snapped back into the present.

"Yeah?"

"You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"

The Cupcake blushed. She admitted that she hadn't.

Melanie chuckled.

"Well, that _would_ explain things… I said that this is a family business. Sam and the girls will be coming with you, of course, Silly…"

Before Carly could respond, Sam burst through Melanie's front door, as though she owned the joint.

"Honey…. I'm home…."

Melanie, doing her best to contain herself, simply raised an eyebrow at Carly.

"Please God, tell me she isn't always like this…"

Carly smirked.

"About half the time…"

Melanie bit her lower lip to keep from bursting out laughing.

Carly's missing half swooped her into a hug, kissing her a bit more vigorously than intended. Melanie spoke up.

"I _am_ still in the room, you know… and what's with the dramatics?"

Sam babbled away. She had good news.


	11. iFight The Darkness

**iFight The Darkness**

Shelby and Wendy Marx had settled into their new home on Mercer Island. Wendy was still in awe. So far as she was concerned, she was still Ridgeway High's resident art geek, although this time, she had a wife and a baby. She had no idea how to adjust to all of this. She was okay with Shelby's upscale apartment, but this was something else entirely.

The brunette shifted in bed next to her. Wendy tried to doze back off to sleep, but it wasn't any use. Up was up. There was no going back now.

"Hey there, gorgeous…" Shelby yawned. It had been the first time since her retirement that her body had allowed her to sleep in, rather than wake her for some non-existent training.

Wendy smiled at her.

"Hey yourself, Superstar…"

Shelby flushed with embarrassment. She whined at her partner.

"Wendy… you _know_ how that makes me feel…"

Wendy did know. Despite all evidence to the contrary and despite her public persona, Shelby Marx was an intensely self-conscious person. No matter how much praise and adulation was heaped upon her, she didn't feel quite right.

Wendy held her gently.

"I know, Sweety… but you know how _I_ feel… You're _my_ superstar…"

The fighter sighed, resting her head against the soft flesh of her partner's chest and shoulder. Even she, the best in the world, needed to stop fighting sometime.

Wendy could feel her love about to break. She held her gently, stroking her hair.

"Shhh… It's alright. It was that nightmare again, wasn't it?"

Shelby nodded into Wendy's chest.

"It's okay, Shels… it's just you, me, and the munchkin… just the three of us… You're safe here, I promise…"

Shelby felt stupid. It was her responsibility – her _job_ – to protect Wendy and their little girl. It shouldn't be Wendy taking care of her.

Wendy simply held her. Shelby had had these nightmares before, the only difference now being that they had been recurring more and more frequently of late. Wendy never gave them much thought before now, as she had chalked them up to a byproduct of Shelby's wars in the ring. She knew that this was the only place in the world that Shelby could let herself be seen as less than perfect.

Shelby was coming unglued. Wendy knew what she needed to do. She kissed Shelby in the middle of her forehead, reassuring her quietly.

"Shels, it's okay. I promise you… It's just the three of us…"

Wendy listened closely. She knew Shelby as well as the fighter knew herself.

"I love you too, Shelby Jane…"

Wendy was thankful that their little girl slept soundly. Before Megan got Mommy's attention, Mama needed it. Wendy did what only she could.

"What did I tell you? For better or worse, right? You're stuck with me, Champ…"

She felt Shelby instantly relax. The fear, pent-up tension, and sickness immediately left her. The second toughest woman in Seattle let herself go. She knew that she was safe here.

_**TWO HOURS LATER…**_

Shelby Marx walked down the hallway from the bathroom into the kitchen completely refreshed. Her hair was slick, but she was dressed just the same. Wendy had fixed breakfast and Megan sat, bouncing in her chair, a shock of red hair curling on her head.

"Good morning, _Beautiful_…" Wendy laid it on thick. She knew she needed to. It was time to puff up Shelby's ego and make her the strong one she loved.

Shelby flushed. She was beyond embarrassed. She hated how she'd behaved this morning. She was, however, thankful that she'd only had an audience of one to witness her breakdown.

"Morning, my love… I'm so sorry about…"

"Save it. It's what I signed on for, remember?"

Shelby struggled to contain a smile. She knew that Wendy loved her. Nobody else knew her the way that this redhead did. She knew that they were bonded for life, she and her fiery-headed art geek. She could tease her mercilessly behind closed doors, but would never denigrate what she did, because she knew that it was what made Wendy tick. It was what she did best, plain and simple.

"Honey?"

Wendy's eyes met Shelby's.

"Yes, dear?"

Shelby couldn't help but laugh. This was life with Wendy.

"Thank you… More than you know…"

Wendy rolled her eyes. This was how it always was.

"Don't thank me. It's what I do… Oh, and clean up your daughter. She's a mess!"

Shelby was perfectly content. It was good to have a place to call your own.


	12. iNeed A Little Help

**iNeed A Little Help**

Sam couldn't do what Shelby was asking. There was no way, not even as the heir apparent to Carmine's vast empire. She couldn't do what Shelby Marx said needed to be done.

"Shelby… You don't understand… In this thing, you get sent for and it's… well… it's not a good thing."

The champion begged her. It broke Sam's heart, because she knew that this was Shelby's last resort. She knew the story and knew that Shelby was here, prostrate across her desk, because she had nowhere else to turn.

"Look, Champ…"

Sam thought that deferring to Shelby's celebrity status would calm her down somehow, allow her to see clearly. She reconsidered and corrected herself.

"Shelby, you're my friend, above all else. I can't do that, but I _can_ solve your problem another way…"

She was listening. She hated that man for what he had done to her. More than that, she hated that man for what he had done to the entire family. She wanted him to pay – and pay dearly – for his crimes, even more so than he had already done. Simply put, she wanted her pound of flesh, no matter what the cost.

Sam convinced her that _'no matter what'_ wasn't the route that she wanted to go. She did explain, however, that Carmine's reach – his assortment of contacts and those who owed him their lives – was vast indeed. Allow Sam to do this _the right way_ and she could assure Shelby that this man would suffer a fate far worse than anything that could have been done to him during his years as a guest of the State of Washington.

Sam hated that she knew how this worked. She didn't want to do this. This was where Carmine's boys came in. Sam wanted to keep her hands clean. She had a wonderful life and a family to consider. She knew that Shelby understood this.

"Hey Shel, look…"

"Sam, I know… you, Carly, the kids… I shouldn't have asked…"

Sam smirked.

"Maybe you shouldn't have, but since you did, I'm obligated to make a few phone calls."

The fighter knew that Sam Puckett would no longer do anything rash or reckless. There was too much to lose, all the way around. Like Wendy, Shelby trusted her with her life.

_**ON MERCER ISLAND…**_

Carly had enlisted the few men in her life to move her and Sam's things from the apartment into their new home, paid for with Carmine's money in a deal orchestrated behind the scenes by Sam and Melanie. Things were going well. Thankfully, she, as mommy to twin little girls, got to sit back and supervise, with Melanie watching the kids. Wendy was holed up in what would be the guest bedroom, sketchbook in hand. Sam had paid her in advance to come up with – and implement – some design ideas, both for the restaurant and for their home. The child-to-Mythical Melanie ratio was three to one. These weren't good odds, but Melanie seemed to love every minute of it, dividing her attention between the three bundles of energy climbing all over her on the front porch and Carly, who supervised from the porch swing. She loved spending time with these little people. It made her long for one of her own. She let the three of them play contentedly by themselves while she harassed her husband.

"Oh Come on, Fredward! Put your back into it!"

Carly laughed. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought it was Sam. She hadn't heard Freddie talked to this way since high school. She thought it was sort of refreshing that things had reverted back to the way they'd been years ago. It was kind of fun to give Freddie a hard time, simply for old times' sake.

_**BACK AT IL TERRAZZO CARMINE…**_

"Fare come tu hai detto! Ti ricordi che io parlo di Carmine, non è vero?"

Shelby didn't speak Italian, but she certainly knew that the conversation was one-sided and not at all complementary. They sat at the bar and ate lunch together, Sam preoccupied with her conversation. She slammed the house phone down and returned to her plate of ravioli and conversation with her friend.

"There. Done. Some of Uncle Carmine's employees need a little… let's call it _'encouragement'_ sometimes…"

Shelby understood, sort of. She figured that this, like everything else, was part of a male-dominated world and as such, people like Sam immediately stood out.

"Sam, I…"

"Relax, it's cool. Just going to politely explain that it's in his best interest to, you know, _go away for a while…_"

There was nothing more that she needed to say. That stupid, toothy grin said it all.

"Puckett… look, I'm trying to say _'Thank you'_."

Sam knew. This was Shelby Marx. Shelby Marx was her friend. She was one of four people who had walk-in privileges to her office. She made sure that the staff understood that she was to be considered _famiglia._ She was to be deferred to as though they were speaking to the Boss Himself. Shelby Marx was _spoken for_.

"Shelby, look, I could use some help…"

The prizefighter knew what was coming. Sam was so goddamn predictable.

_**BACK ON MERCER ISLAND…**_

Carly was quite pleased with herself. She was happy that Sam had given her the autonomy to make the decisions around the house, allowing her to turn it into their home. She had set up a nice office area, a guest room, and had even earmarked a bedroom for the girls, once they were older. The master bedroom was lovely. Her brother, Freddie, Socko, and T-Bo had done a wonderful job. She truly didn't know what to say. Spencer had painted and everything. With all hands on deck, everything had gone off without a hitch.

Wendy came running from the back bedroom, where she'd been working. She was over the moon about her most recent designs. She had a wonderful idea for the mural Sam wanted for the restaurant. She knew Carly couldn't approve it outright, but the brunette did hold the power of persuasion over Sam's head. If it won the Cupcake's recommendation, Wendy knew it would get the green light from Sam.

The redhead's feet slipped on the hardwood floor. Mythical Melanie caught her about the waist, preventing her from slipping and sliding into a playpen full of small children.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Slow down there, Big Red…"

Wendy chuckled, practically throwing the sketchbook into Carly's hands. Melanie decided to be nosy and rubber-neck. She wanted to see what was so important.

Carly was beaming. She knew that Sam would _definitely_ go for this.


	13. iEnjoy The Peace and Quiet

**iEnjoy The Peace and Quiet**

Sam was happy to be home. She'd called Carly earlier in the evening and told her to leave the girls with Melanie. She wanted some alone time tonight. Actually, she'd told Carly that Wendy and Shelby would be coming over, and she would be bringing food home from the restaurant. She simply wanted some relatively alone time with their friends.

Carly held Sam close when she walked through the door. They hadn't spent nearly enough time together lately. They had been running around six ways from Sunday, and it made Carly crazy. She wanted things to be the way they were before the girls were born. She absolutely adored her girls, but she and Sam did deserve time to themselves.

"Hey Cupcake…"

Carly couldn't adequately articulate her feelings in the moment. She simply acted on impulse, throwing the blonde into a bone crushing hug and kissing her the second she'd crossed the threshold.

Her conscience finally getting the better of her, Carly let Sam go and apologized, albeit halfheartedly.

"Sam, I'm… I'm…"

Sam got the point.

"Whoa, Carls… That was… ummm… _yeah_… Wow. Just wow."

Carly flushed bright red. Sam couldn't help herself. She tickled the brunette in the ribs.

"Stop… stop… stop…stop… Sam!"

Sam kept her cool long enough to carefully set the containers of food down gently, next to the door before scooping Carly into her arms.

"No can do, Cupcake…"

Sam carried her into their living room, and deposited her gently on the sofa that had been delivered that afternoon. It was amazing what simply fell off of delivery trucks owned by Uncle Carmine. The doorbell rang. Sam turned to answer the door and spoke before Carly could get the words out.

"I'll be right back, Carlotta, chillax…"

Sam walked away and Carly felt grumpy. She loved hanging out with Wendy and Shelby, but she and Sam needed their own time. She wanted to tell Shelby off until she remembered what her friend had made that Russian chick's jaw do that one time. _That wasn't pleasant_. Shelby and Wendy could barge in whenever they liked. It was easier that way.

Sam ushered Shelby and her little redhead in. They were all smiles. Carly noticed that Wendy was carrying a gift basket. She wasn't real happy to not have private time with Sam, but free food would help her forget.

The prizefighter hugged the Cupcake first.

"Hey Carly!"

Carly made small talk, but wasn't completely happy until Sam settled in next to her. This was how it needed to be.

_**MEANWHILE, NEXT DOOR…**_

Freddie Benson was overwhelmed. His wife was many, many things, including generous to a fault. His living room had been turned into a day care center, his nieces and the little Marx child climbing all over everything. Not that he minded the mess or the children; it was simply a matter of mathematics. The ratio of big people to small people was simply upside-down.

"Mel? A little help here, Pumpkin?"

She scurried from the kitchen to help him. The twins had taken Uncle Freddie's ankles hostage. The blonde extracted her namesake from her husband's left foot.

"No, no, Sweetheart… Let go of Uncle Freddie…"

Mythical Melanie pulled the little girl to her. The little girl squealed. She was having fun. For her, even now, she relished having extra playmates.

She snuggled the little girl. She loved watching them. They made everything fall into place. They were her selfish reason for insisting that Sam and Carly move in next door. Melanie wanted to be able to watch them grow, play, and learn new things each and every day.

"Uh… Mel?"

Megan Marx and Ashley Puckett had taken a keen interest in Freddie's shoelaces and were seemingly attempting to figure out how to go about untying them.

"Mel?"

Freddie's little Mythical blonde gave him just the slightest hint of attitude.

"Oh for pity's sake, Freddie Benson… How many hands does it look like I have?"

_**BACK AT CARLY AND SAM'S…**_

Shelby was regaling them with tales of her day talking shop. It was nice to get paid what she did for a cable show, to sit there and prattle on about this fighter or that, knowing full well that she could take them all apart with her bare hands. She knew that she was simply _that good._ She always was and would always be. These fresh faces coming up today were good – no doubt about it – but they didn't have what Shelby did. Shelby had an _X _factor that made her great. She had _'all of the stuff in the basement'_ – all of the baggage that she carried around, giving her the killer instinct that she was, like Sam, finally able to control. What people didn't understand was that it wasn't as simple as it sounded. It wasn't as though she could turn it on and off, like a light switch, but she was well enough adjusted to know _right_ from _wrong_. Her grandmother, in the absence of her parents, had instilled in her the gentleness that Wendy loved.

The four of them ate from take-out containers spread out on the coffee table. Carly spoke up.

"How is your grandmother, by the way, Shelby?"

Wendy blushed.

"She's okay. Spunky little old lady. She just loves the heck out of Wendy, but, I mean, _come on_, can you blame her?"

A smile crossed Shelby's lips. It certainly was never easy coming out, but when you were forced to explain things to _your grandmother_, that was just awkward all the way around. Shelby's maternal grandmother may not have understood just how special that Wendy was to her, but she knew from the very first meeting that Shelby was happy, and that was all that mattered.

Wendy continued to burn as Shelby gave her that look. She finally spoke, before the fighter could embarrass her any more in front of their friends.

"She's a sweet little woman, loves Megan to pieces, and doesn't pry into our relationship… it's good all the way around… now, if…"

Shelby cut her off, kissing her partner firmly on the cheek for no reason whatsoever.

"Wendy, darling… light of my life… You talk too much…"

Carly couldn't help but laugh. It was too cute. Sam took the awkward silence as an invitation to jump into the conversation and carry on about the new hire she'd made at the restaurant. She needed an assistant manager. She needed someone that she could trust. She needed to hand off the keys to the kingdom a few nights a week to someone who could handle the pressure. Carly thought this was a good idea. It meant more couple time with Sam.

Carly passed the garlic bread to Wendy as they all relaxed, content in each other's company. They needed nights like this more often.


	14. iRemember When

**iRemember When**

Tonight was special. It was imperative that everything go off without a hitch. It was the anniversary of her first date with Freddie – their _first_ first date – back when he thought that she was simply a figment of her sister's overactive imagination.

Melanie went over and above what was necessary. She wanted to be sure that things were _'just so'_. It was almost too easy. She didn't like manipulating her man, but Freddie was her trusting little puppy dog. She wanted things the way that she wanted them, and if she had to pull the strings to make him dance a little bit, she'd do it. The end would justify her means.

She dug through their shared walk-in closet last night, her obsessive compulsive attention to detail getting the better of her. She knew that he would never think twice. For the first time since they'd begun dating, Melanie was thankful that Freddie's mother was such a neurotic mess. It was her loopy behavior that wouldn't allow Freddie to bat an eyelash over what she was doing. She had laid his clothes out on the dresser, making sure she had every detail exactly correct. She knew that he wouldn't pay it any mind whatsoever.

Her label had called that morning, wanting her to come in and lay out her plans for the new album. She'd told them flat-out _'No'_. She'd come in first thing on Monday morning. Tonight was simply a non-starter. Tonight, she'd already made plans. If they wanted to do business, they would need to give her more than an hour's notice. She'd run out earlier, making sure she got done what she needed. She'd come home, everything already set in her mind. She was a Puckett by birth, after all. Once Mythical Melanie had something in her mind, getting her to change it was like stealing a steak from a starving lion – it simply wasn't going to happen.

Freddie questioned himself as he left the house with Mythical Melanie's _'Honey Do'_ list. This one seemed longer and much more involved than usual, but he put it out of his mind, rationalizing it away with the fact that they'd just moved into a beautiful new home and there were more than a few things that needed to be done. He started his car – an early birthday gift from Melanie – and pulled out of the driveway. He had no idea why Mel'd waited until the last minute with some of this stuff. All of this running around would take him two hours, easy, if not more. He adored her, but oftentimes found himself questioning if there was a method to her madness. Sometimes, he very simply didn't see it.

_**TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER…**_

Freddie Benson pulled his black Range Rover into the driveway, next to Melanie's black Jag. The personalized plates on both vehicles left no question as to their ownership.

* * *

><p><strong>IN5432<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>MYTHMEL<strong>

* * *

><p>He made his way to the front door, juggling bags in order to turn the knob. He nudged the front door open with his foot.<p>

"Mel? Honey? I'm home!"

No answer.

Maybe she was in the back bedroom, which was being renovated into an in-home studio. He called her again.

"Sweetheart?"

He heard her before he saw her.

"Right here, Freddie…"

There was an edge in her voice that he hadn't heard in quite a while.

He turned. She very nearly gave him a coronary. There she was, looking amazing as ever, in the very same dress she'd worn on their very first date, red and sultry, at least to him. That, in hindsight, should have been his first clue. Sam Puckett would never be caught dead in something so amazing. She crossed the floor quickly, leaned close, and allowed herself to become tangled in his arms. His bags hit the floor. In that instant, Melanie was glad she hadn't sent him out in search of anything breakable.

"I missed you…"

Freddie had no idea what on God's Earth he should say. It was that damned dress. It had taken over his brain. He kissed her, not knowing what, if anything, else was a better idea.

Melanie pulled him gently by the hand, leading him toward the kitchen. He hadn't been paying attention, but Melanie had thought everything out down to the last detail. Falling gently into the kitchen chair, it all clicked into place. He knew what his wife was doing.

There, smack in the center of the table, were two large bags from The Groovy Smoothie. It was clear now that Melanie wanted to relive both the afternoon he'd first asked her out and the evening of their first date, regardless of the fact that, at the time, he thought that she was her sister. Melanie pushed fries and a strawberry smoothie on him. She slid in the chair opposite him and allowed herself to fall in love with him all over again.

_**FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER…**_

The doorbell rang. Melanie begged Freddie not to answer it.

"Honey, no… Please?"

He knew that he didn't have a choice.

"Mel, I kind of have to, Sweetheart…"

"No, you don't. They'll go away!"

"Honey, our cars are in the driveway. It's pretty obvious that we're home…"

She loved the boy, but she hated when he made sense.

The bell rang again. Melanie grumbled quietly. Her sister was the one with the temper. Melanie stewed in silence.

"Fine! Go answer the door, but make it quick, please!"

Freddie thought that this was completely adorable. He loved to see Mythical Melanie get that cute little version of whipped up that she got. It was like Sam, but without the rage.

He kissed her gently, leaving her there on the sofa. He paused for a moment before pulling open the heavy wooden door.

There, on his front porch, stood his sister-in-law and her Cupcake. The door was open barely a crack. He wedged his face in the negative space between the door and the frame, as he had for years at Bushwell Plaza, when the security chain was in place.

"Uh… Hey guys… How're you doing?"

Carly smiled at him. Sam was ready to speak, but was silenced by Melanie's voice, coming from points unknown. It was clear that she was frustrated, her voice clinging to the last vestiges of civility. Even as frustrated as she was, Melanie couldn't allow herself to be anything but a lady. She knew Sam intimately and could sense that she had been ready to speak from the slightest inhalation of breath.

"_SO_ – NOT – A – GOOD – TIME – SAMANTHA…"

Carly immediately wanted to save face. She excused the both of them.

"Sorry, Freddie… We didn't realize… you know... We love you both. We'll talk tomorrow, okay? Bye!"

Sam's little Cupcake scrunched her face up and kissed him gently on the cheek. She would make Sam apologize tomorrow. There had been enough awkward moments for one night.


	15. iReturn To The Web

**iReturn To The Web**

"In five… four… three… two…"

"I'm Carly!"

"I'm Sam!"

Carly was ecstatic to be in front of the camera again. _iCarly_ was her life. Putting it on hiatus during her pregnancy wasn't her idea, it had been Sam's. She understood why. Not many fans would have wanted to witness Carly's cravings, mood swings, or the fact that she eventually looked like she'd swallowed a pair of basketballs. Freddie had, through his many talents, retired to the Nerdery with his laptop, constantly updating the _iCarly_ website with weekly _'The Best of iCarly'_ compilations. He had plenty of material to work with.

He zoomed in on Sam, playfully mugging for the camera over Carly's shoulder.

"Attention, People of the Internet! Do not adjust your browsers! We are live! In case you've wondered where we've been, the answer is tied up with life. Show the people, Fredweird!"

Carly flushed bright crimson. She was absolutely mortified. What were they doing?

"Playback!"

Freddie clicked a few keys, and a new video file played on the TV along the back wall. It was a video compilation of Freddie's own making, condensing the past year and a half into roughly seven and a half minutes, from Melanie's first show as technical producer, through her _America Sings_ experience, Carly and Sam goofing around at the house, Spencer's most recent sculptures, video from their joint marriage proposals, footage of the wedding, Melanie's recent interview on _Seattle Beat_, and snippets showing Carly's ever-expanding tummy, complete with the moments leading up to delivery and Carly screaming at her favorite little tech boy. The final moments of the montage consisted of _'So help me God, Freddie Benson, if this ends up on the Web, I'm going to kill you!'_ and snapshots of the twins, complete with captions.

Regardless of how embarrassing this whole ordeal was, Carly was extremely touched. Sam pressed the _'Applause'_ button on her trademark remote. If nothing else, Mama loved her babies – all three of them. She was proud beyond words of the job Carly had done carrying the twins for nine months, and loved her more and more each day for her wonderful parenting skills. She wanted to gush, but knew that it wasn't the best idea.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

The Idiot Farmgirl had _finally_ professed her undying love for the Cowboy Whose Mustache She Thought was a Squirrel when Sam flipped the script on Carly for the second time today. What the hell did Sam think she was doing? The name of the show was _iCarly_, not _iAmbushCarly_.

"Cue the special guest stars, Tech Nub!"

"Cueing the special guest stars…"

Freddie effortlessly switched to his trusted '_B_' cam and ushered in Sam's '_special guest stars'_ – Melanie and Shelby Marx – both of whom had been waiting in the wings. He pressed a button on the computer and Christina Aguilera's _'Fighter'_ blared from the speakers for a split second, solely to introduce the former CFC champion. Freddie zoomed in again. Each woman held one of Carly's twins. Sam spoke up again.

"Don't worry, Internettalonians! We're not going to feed them salsa… They make a big enough mess as it is!"

Carly beamed. She was proud to introduce her girls to the world. She was so happy to share her family's random silliness with the masses. She wanted _iCarly_ to continue unabated for as long as the people out there in Internet Land found her and Sam's crazy antics amusing.

"…RANDOM DANCING!..."

"And… we're clear!"

"_Leave it to Sam"_, Carly thought. So far as she was concerned, the return of _iCarly_ had been an incredible success.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER…**_

Carly was just rejoining the rest of the group in the living room after putting the girls down for their afternoon nap. She knew her little ones well enough by now to know that she could reasonably expect them to be out for about the next two hours. Shelby had politely excused herself to make the brief ten minute jog home to Wendy. They'd spent more time apart lately than together, and with everything else that had been going on of late, she wanted to spend at least a few quiet moments alone with her very best friend.

"Hey Cupcake…"

Sam looked backwards, over the sofa, towards the back hall.

"Hey…"

"How're the kiddos?"

Carly smiled.

"I think they'd rather still be dancing crazy, but they're good… down for the count…"

The Cupcake settled herself in between Sam and Freddie. She was happy. Her life felt like it was back to something like normal. She felt like she was back in high school again, and the notion thrilled her. She'd lost so much time growing up the way she did. She was fortunate to have grown up in Seattle under Spencer's somewhat watchful eye. He wasn't like other people's brothers, but she'd learned a long time ago that her family was the best thing in the world. Things weren't _'normal'_, by any stretch of the imagination, but she had experienced enough stability to know what made her happy, and this was it. She was at the center of her own little world, and she was beyond comfortable. It may have only been the middle of the day, but Carly set her head on Sam's shoulder and promptly dozed off.

_**TWENTY MINUTES LATER…**_

Freddie's weight shifted just enough so that Carly fell sidelong into her partner. Sam held her tight as she was jolted awake. It was moments like this that Sam Puckett found immensely touching. It was moments like this one that made her thankful that Carly had chosen to spend her life at Sam's side. She loved the first few seconds, when Carly's brain was still in the clouds. She could get away with absolutely anything. She playfully nibbled at Carly's ear, not caring that her sister and brother-in-law were in the room. That wasn't the point. The point was to watch the Cupcake squirm. She knew it made Melanie a little bit uncomfortable to be privy to this and that Freddie didn't care. She did it again and Carly succeeded in swatting herself in the head.

"Samantha! That's mean!"

"Nuh uh, Princess…"

Melanie gave her sister a cross look, like she knew that she and Freddie shouldn't be witnessing this. She was conflicted. What should she say, if anything? Freddie poked his wife in the ribs, finding the same ticklish spot that Carly typically found on Sam.

Melanie giggled.

"Mel, relax... It's just Sam being…_well…_Sam."

Melanie realized that her little tech nub was right. This was just how her sister would always be. Their family wasn't _'normal'_, by anyone's standard definition, but they thrived on abnormal. She playfully shoved her sister in the shoulder and laughed it off. This was how their family would always be. No matter how old they got, they would still – _on some level_ – perpetually be children.


	16. iFace My Demons

**iFace My Demons**

Shelby Marx woke up sobbing again. She looked to the nightstand. The clock told her that it was only a quarter past two. She hated that this was happening. There she was, supposedly the toughest woman on the planet, reduced to a naked, wet, sniffly mess, here in the redhead's arms.

"Shhh… It's okay… I'm right here, Shels…"

Thank God for Wendy. The artist was exactly what she'd needed, at exactly the right time. Nana had always told her that people came into their lives for a specific reason, even though we may not realize it at the time. Through her tears, the fighter acknowledged the wisdom of that statement. Shelby didn't know who she might have been without her beloved redhead in her life, but she knew that the world would be slightly less beautiful. Like her friend Carly Shay, Shelby Marx knew more than a little about love and loss, although Carly's trumped hers on so many levels. Her father was in prison, and her mother had fallen victim to her own devices – depression and addiction – leaving Shelby to be cared for by her grandmother, a woman she adored, but who couldn't possibly understand her, the reasons she fought, or the '_how' _and '_why'_ of why Shelby was different from other girls her age.

From their very first date, Shelby knew that this redheaded art wannabe was special. She was different from the other fans, admirers, and hangers-on. This one truly seemed to care about _her_ – who she was as a person, rather than Shelby Marx, the public persona.

Shelby snuggled closer to Wendy, wanting to be held. Wendy held on to her tightly, promising she would never let her go and that it was only a bad, bad, bad dream. She stroked her partner's hair gently. Before Shelby nodded off to sleep again, safe and sound in Wendy's arms, the only thought she had was that Wendy put her own mother to shame. Where Shelby's mother wasn't concerned with much beyond her next high, Wendy gave eternally of herself; everything that she had. Shelby knew that she was truly blessed.

_**MUCH LATER THAT MORNING…**_

The music blared in the far back of the house. Shelby had converted the former master suite into a home gym. Even retired former champions needed to keep in shape. Wendy had put up a fuss, but acquiesced after Shelby reminded her that training equipment didn't hit back. This was how their life was. Shelby fought out of sheer force of habit. It was what she knew how to do. Wendy was the one who nursed Shelby back to health after each turn as a soldier of fortune.

Mother and daughter entered the house to loud music and a sound that Wendy Marx knew all too well. It was the sound of Shelby's fists pounding the bag. She both loved and hated the sound. She took pride in Shelby's accomplishments, but hated what typically came after. Her heart rejoiced, knowing that those days were now behind them. She set Megan in the playpen before continuing toward the back of the house. The music grew louder, but she didn't care. She'd sat ringside before, though the world only saw her as another pretty face with an All-Access VIP pass. To anyone on the outside looking in, she was nothing more than Shelby Marx's _'special friend'_. Where Shelby was concerned, people knew better than to ask questions or voice opinions. Shelby was fiercely loyal, and the outing of such a high-profile figure in the sport was akin to suicide.

Shelby was in the zone. She was pounding the hell out of the heavy bag. Wendy knew exactly what was going on. It finally sunk in. The music finally made sense. She was finally about to stop and hear the lyrics, over Shelby's noises as she got herself all whipped up. Shelby _was _preparing for a fight, though not one she'd receive a paycheck for. Wendy knew that this would be the fight of her love's life.

"…_Cuz if it wasn't for all of your torture…"_

"…_I wouldn't know how…"_

"…_to be this way now…"_

"…_and NEVER BACK DOWN…"_

"…_so I wanna say Thank You…"_

"…_Cuz it…"_

"…_Makes me that much stronger…"_

"…_makes me work a little bit harder…"_

"…_it makes me that much wiser…"_

"…_so thanks for making me a fighter…"_

"…_made me learn a little bit faster…"_

"…_made my skin a little bit thicker…"_

"_...makes me that much smarter..."_

"…_so thanks for making me a fighter…"_

Wendy finally understood. Shelby had used this song as her entrance music for each and every one of her fights, but it never registered until much later, once Shelby confided her family history in her. It was an extremely personal statement – one that almost no one would ever know. She stood there a moment, admiring Shelby from the door. She was completely oblivious, working the bag with a fury Wendy hadn't ever seen. Shelby's skin glistened. Wendy thought she was beautiful. She couldn't help but stand there and watch her. It was, for her, like watching one of The Masters work a canvas. She knew she had no choice. This woman had a piece of her heart.

_**MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE WASHINGTON STATE PENITENTIARY…**_

The gate swung open and Jack Marx – formerly Inmate Number 566957 – stepped outside the prison walls for the first time in fifteen years. He had no idea what to do. The world around him had changed completely in the past decade and a half. His little girl was now a grown woman. He knew he needed to rectify things, to balance the score. He was ready to board the bus that would take him away from this place forever, transporting him and his one meager cardboard box of worldly possessions to Seattle, where he could begin again.

He was stopped by a large man in a dark suit.

"You Marx?"

He nodded.

"You're coming with us…"

The man motioned to the idling black town car.

Jack Marx had no idea what in the hell was going on, but he also knew he wasn't exactly in a position to negotiate.


	17. iKnow What's Important

**iKnow What's Important**

It was Friday afternoon. Sam had decided that she wanted a long weekend. She'd put her faith in her new assistant manager, which she knew was well-founded. She knew the staff wouldn't set as much as a toe out of line in her absence, since the new hire certainly wouldn't hold back. This was precisely the reason why Sam felt totally comfortable making an afternoon of it with Carly, Mel, and Fred-Nub.

They were back in their usual booth at the Groovy Smoothie, like they were still in high school. It was comfortable – just the four of them. Carly had suffered a minor panic attack leaving the babies with Freddie's mother, even for an hour or two. It wasn't until Sam's hand found that special place on her back that Carly could relax.

They sat and talked amongst themselves until an unfamiliar voice broke their collective concentration.

"Excuse me, Miss Puckett?"

Not even bothering to think things through, both Sam and Melanie turned, separated by a space of roughly half a second.

The two young girls standing at their table instantly reminded her of younger versions of Carly and herself. Had they really gotten so old? It was apparent that both girls had skipped out over lunch at school. They were sophomores at the absolute oldest. If you were going to cut class, it was a good idea not to leave your school ID hanging from one of the zippers on your backpack.

"_Amateurs…"_ Sam thought.

The little blonde spoke up, after her friend had elbowed her in the back.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could have your autograph…"

Sam smiled to herself. She thought of this girl as the Mini-Carly.

Melanie blushed as the teenager produced a copy of her _Mythical _CD from her backpack. She was a star, sure, but that was by someone else's definition. So far as she was concerned, she was simply Sam and Carly's sister, Freddie's wife, and Pam's first born. She wasn't anything beyond that. She was simply _Melanie._

"Sure…" Melanie said, smiling. She nonchalantly dug through her purse, in search of a permanent marker. She typically kept one on her to mark off the grocery list, but this would certainly work. She took the disc from her adoring public, removed the cover art from the case, and scribbled a brief message.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Abby,<strong>_

_**Never stop dreaming… They're always within reach with a little hard work.**_

_**Best wishes always,**_

_**Melanie**_

* * *

><p>The little girl thanked her profusely as Melanie blushed. As she excused herself, with her friend in tow, Melanie spoke up.<p>

"Oh… and Sweety?"

The young girl turned back to face her. Melanie broke in to a smile.

"I've got a concert coming up… Next time, just wait until then instead of cutting class…"

The teenager didn't know how she knew, but flushed with embarrassment.

"You go to Ridgeway, don't you? Let's just say I have friends there…"

The two truants looked nervous. Melanie giggled.

"Don't worry, I won't tell… just… go to class…"

The teens understood, thanked her, and politely went on their way.

Melanie returned to present company. She was happy to sit there with Carly, Sam, and Freddie and simply _be_. She cozied up next to Freddie and relaxed. She realized now that life for her would never be normal again, whatever _'normal'_ was. She didn't care. She was just happy to have who she had.

_**MEANWHILE, ACROSS TOWN…**_

The young waiter never saw what was coming. Before he realized it, he was snatched up by his shirt collar, nose to nose with his new boss, who barked at him in coached Italian. He wanted to say exactly what was on his mind, although he knew that he couldn't. If he had, he knew that he would lose his tongue – or at the very least – a finger. These were the stakes when you worked for Carmine, albeit indirectly. He wouldn't be working here if he had his choice. He was expected to take orders from a _woman_?

He quickly realized that he didn't have much of a choice. They were far enough out of earshot that this woman – hired by the Boss's niece – could speak up without fear of causing a scene. She spoke in English.

"Listen… I'm reasonable, but let me tell you something… I know you pocketed that money… Now, you're really not in a position to tell me that you didn't…"

She explained that she had him on film from the surveillance camera and could play it for him if he liked. He denied it. He didn't know what this crazy bitch was talking about.

A slender, neatly manicured fist slammed into the tile on the wall, narrowly missing his ear. The tile shattered, but her hand was unharmed. This woman was even crazier, he thought, than Carmine's niece. The point was clear. There was to be absolutely no discussion. He reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a wad of bills. He peeled off the first few bills on the outside and handed them over. They were all hundreds.

"Good… Now that we understand each other, you have two choices… Either we can talk like adults, or, since I know you don't much care to take orders from a woman… perhaps you'd like to speak with…"

He knew what was coming. He stammered in broken English.

"No! No… no… no Carmine… Please..."

A wry smile crossed the young woman's face.

"But you'll steal from Carmine's family? It is still Carmine's, isn't it?"

The young man went ashen. He knew this wasn't smart. He nodded.

"Everything Carmine's… Please…"

He was handed a dish towel.

"Then get back into the kitchen and get to work… This must have been a _simple misunderstanding, isn't that right?"_

He realized what this woman was doing. She was giving him an out. He looked at her, nodded slightly, and turned to make his way toward the kitchen.

_**MEANWHILE, BACK AT BUSHWELL PLAZA…**_

Freddie, Melanie, Carly, and Sam exited Mrs. Benson's apartment, this time with two sleepy children, one each asleep on Carly and Sam's respective shoulders. Carly spoke up, her eyes locked on Freddie's.

"You sure you won't join us?"

It was quite clear that Freddie wanted to.

"No… Mom invited us to dinner… _you know_…"

Sam and Melanie just looked at one another. All Melanie could offer was a simple shrug, as Sam spoke up.

"Let's just hope that crazy woman didn't douse our babies in flea dip…"

"Sam!"

Carly paused briefly, looking to Freddie for reassurance.

"I'm sure she didn't…"

Again, it was all in good fun. They laughed and hugged like always. Melanie felt her sister's hand on her arm. This was perhaps as vulnerable as Sam had ever allowed herself to be in front of people who weren't Carly. Sam touched her gently and gave her their familiar look.

Melanie understood completely. Sam could say things to her without actually saying them.

"See you at home, Kid?"

Melanie smiled at her.

"You know it…"

It had been a day. Melanie's brain was still back at the Groovy Smoothie. Signing autographs was so surreal to her. It didn't make sense, but, she knew, it was part of her life. She'd have more days like this. They would get less awkward over time. She was grounded. She was a complete human being. If all of the fame and fortune faded away tomorrow, she would always have her family, and that was all that mattered. The weekend was ahead. It was time to put away childish things and be with those that she loved.


	18. iLearn to Unwind

**iLearn to Unwind**

Carly woke up the next morning in a haze. She immediately went into a panic when she realized that she'd overslept. She woke up to singing. It was light, airy, and absolutely beautiful. Normally, this wouldn't be cause for concern, but, as she couldn't seem to recall much of the previous evening, she was hoping she hadn't had a glass of wine too many with dinner and mistakenly taken the wrong Puckett sister to bed.

She stumbled, barely dressed, out into the hall and made her way to the beautiful, wide open kitchen space that she and Sam had immediately fallen in love with. Her entire world was shrouded in fog, just like the rest of Seattle.

"Well, Good Morning, Cupcake…"

Sam Puckett stood behind the stainless steel range, poking at whatever was going to be breakfast on the stove with one hand while juggling and feeding a baby with the other.

Carly thought her wife was amazing.

Sam slipped a plastic coated spoon past tiny lips for a second time and smiled.

"I know, I know, Pumpkin… Mama could do better, but since you don't have teeth, you're not really giving me a whole lot to work with here…"

Sam dabbed at Ashley's mouth.

"Sam..." Carly whined, "how come you let me sleep in? I could've done something to help…"

Sam just rolled her eyes.

"You deserved it, Carls… you can stop trying to be Super-Woman… You aren't a single mom… We're in this together."

Before Carly could even give Sam her very best pout face, Sam interrupted again.

"Now run along, Carlotta…"

Only Sam could get away with calling her _Carlotta_.

"I ran you a bubble bath, so go soak…"

Carly's nose wrinkled. It was either in that cute way that she liked or out of disgust. Sam couldn't exactly tell. Sam decided to talk over her partner yet again. This was the fun part of having been together as long as they had. Sam knew Carly about as well as she did Melanie.

"And _No_, _Cupcake_, it isn't your own wet dirt… so go on… I've girly-fied the bathroom enough… so go ahead and relax…"

_**A SHORT TIME LATER…**_

Carly was amazed. It had been a while since Sam had treated her this way. She knew that Sam would always baby her – that was just what it meant to be Sam Puckett's little Cupcake. Sam had drawn her a nice warm bubble bath – not too hot, but not too cool. She had set out candles, even though it was early morning. Sam had gone over and above the call of duty solely because she knew that Carly deserved it. As she slipped beneath the bubbles, she knew that things would be better this weekend. Sam was right; she was trying to be Super-Woman. She had no idea what else to do. She was doing everything she could to show that she could handle motherhood.

_**NEARLY FORTY MINUTES LATER…**_

Carly emerged from the bathroom, swathed in a towel, with another wrapped around her hair. Sam had set the girls in their playpen, hoping they'd burn off some of their excess energy. They had, instead, proceeded to fall asleep, one cuddled into the other, as Sam and Melanie used to do.

Carly's eyes fell on Sam, gritty and dirty as she was, in a t-shirt and jeans. This was how she'd dress around the house, of course, but Carly'd forgotten how much the little things about her favorite blonde captivated her. Her dark eyes gave Sam the once-over. She was happy.

"Hey…"

"Hey-ya, Cupcake…"

Sam crossed the living room quickly, wrapping her arms around Carly's lower back. She needed something more than what she'd given the little brunette recently. She needed something beyond what they'd both allowed each other of late.

Carly's knees went weak. She and Sam were both on the same page. They couldn't allow this to happen otherwise. She intended to take advantage of Sleeping Baby Time. Carly's mouth immediately found Sam's neck.

"_Not here, Carls…"_

Carly knew that Sam was right, but her hormones told her differently. Sam knew that the girls would be out for quite a while. If nothing else, she and Carls needed to steal whatever moments they could. At least now, she reasoned, the twins were too small to be aware. She scooped her towel-clad Cupcake up quickly, whisking her away to their big, fluffy bed. Over Carly's motherly protests, Sam was able to convince her that the girls would be just fine. They had one another.

_**LATER THAT MORNING…**_

Carly emerged from the bedroom with Sam, a woman contented. She was ready for a lazy day at home. She was comfortable in her sweatpants and t-shirt, complete with a _'borrowed'_ pair of Sam's boxers. She held Sam's fingers in hers loosely.

"Thank you…"

"Oh, _come on_, Carls! It's not like I don't know that we've both got needs… but we've also got kids… It's just about balancing _'Us'_ versus _'Them'_."

Carly knew that the blonde headed demon was right. The twins would be their lives for the next eighteen years at minimum, but neither of them would have it any other way. The girls had been the most amazing gift in the world, but she and Sam were something more than parents. They belonged to the girls, yes, but they – first and foremost – belonged to one another.

Carly leaned over and gave her partner a tender kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, Samantha…"

Sam flushed with pride. The more things changed for the better between them, the more that they stayed the same. They would grow older together and raise their children. Their children would have children, and so on and so on, but Sam Puckett knew that, in her heart of hearts, nothing would ever change. She, Carly, Melanie, and Freddie would perpetually roam the halls of Ridgeway High School. They would never grow up. They were adults and could live in the grown-up world, but they would perpetually remain as they were. They were simply young at heart.

Sam returned the favor, kissing Carly gently. She thanked the angels every morning for allowing things to be this way. Carly was all she would ever need.

"Love you too, Cupcake… Come on, time to be grown-ups again…"

Carly giggled. Her Mommy-sense was telling her that the girls were already up, in search of mischief. She smiled, if only to herself. Her life was good. She would never change a thing.


	19. iKeep an Eye on the Kids

**iKeep an Eye on the Kids**

Shelby was enjoying some alone time – well, relatively speaking – now that Wendy, Carly, and Sam's twin, Missus Raisin Toast, were off doing girly things. She and Sam were lounging on the deck off the back of the house, watching the girls play. It was a rare bright, sunshiny day in Seattle. The children were in that awkward stage. They weren't quite ready to walk, although they tried. Shelby found it all quite amusing.

She loved the unseasonably warm, sunny day. Even for the early summer, it was warmer and brighter than usual. She felt that this was _'suntan in the swimsuit'_ sort of weather. She turned to Sam, staring at the pretty blonde through the lenses of her designer sunglasses.

"You know, this is kinda nice…"

Sam was inclined to agree. She watched the three little girls toddle around in Wendy and Shelby's backyard. They were all ambulatory, but all three of them wanted to rush things and run, jump, and play before having mastered walking. The result, to the best of Sam's recollection, was _Bambi on Ice_. She knew that she shouldn't, but her first instinct was laughter.

She couldn't contain herself as the children got into a bit of a scrape. It made all the sense in the world to her. What more could you expect from the children of Sam Puckett and Shelby Marx?

Ashley and Melanie had been playing quietly together, which Megan apparently had taken offense to. She clearly wanted Melanie out of the way, so she'd shoved her. Melanie had tipped clean over, allowing Megan to claim the remaining blonde twin as her own. This, of course, wasn't the amusing part. This was what had both Shelby and Sam concerned, looking to one another in shock. This was just great. The last thing that they needed was a backyard brawl between tiny people. That was well beyond enough to send either of the partners into full-on meltdown mode. They sat back, agreeing to intervene if the roughhousing escalated.

Sam chuckled to herself. Leave it to her kids to cause a scene.

Little Melanie righted herself and gave Shelby's little girl what Sam knew had to be the trademark Puckett stare, albeit downsized. Sam realized this could go one of two ways. This could either go the way of the infamous '_Tuna Sandwich Incident_', or things could get real fighty, real fast.

In this particular moment, Sam was relieved that her little girl took after Mommy instead. She let out a fussy little shriek in Megan's direction, but did not cry. Sam was proud. The girl was most definitely a Puckett. Sam shot Shelby a relieved look.

"That could've been bad…"

Shelby managed a tenuous smile.

"Don't I know it! Carly gets how she gets, I'd imagine, but you've never seen Wendy get all whipped up. I think that would've been even worse."

Sam conceded the point. Her Cupcake could get a little panicky, but if Wendy scared Shelby, that was something serious. Before Sam could say anything further on the matter, Shelby suggested lunch. Sam didn't need to be asked twice.

_**AFTER LUNCH…**_

Sam and Shelby prolonged lunch for as long as they could, indulging in the remains of a deep dish meatball pizza from _Il Terrazzo Carmine_. It had always been Sam's opinion that Carmine's pizza was just as good a day old and cold as it was fresh. Under the circumstances, Shelby had to agree.

"You know, Shel, I've gotta tell you, having you at the restaurant, even part-time, is a real life saver…"

Shelby didn't exactly see it that way. So far as she was concerned, Sam didn't need to say a word.

"Sam…"

"Whatever, Marx. I know you'd do it anyway, but I just want you to know that I… you know… thanks."

Shelby knew fully well. They talked over a number of things, most of them pointless and silly, as all three little girls slept, no more than ten feet away, collapsed in the middle of the living room carpet. She had a silly question. She knew the answer before she asked it, but she knew that she needed to ask just the same. Not to do so would be an incredible abuse of their friendship.

"Would you and Carly mind watching Megan for a few days?"

Shelby didn't need to say another word. For Sam, it had immediately registered.

"Yeah, sure, no chizz… Happy anniversary, by the way!"

Shelby was touched that the blonde remembered. It had been a year. They had both rushed having children, but they both knew that it wasn't truly a rush, as they knew who they wanted to be with. For Shelby, nothing would compare to the way that her little redhead made her feel. She knew that Sam understood. Shelby was quite proud of herself. She kept everything that she had planned for Wendy a secret. She knew how Wendy would get, but she didn't care. Her fiery little redhead deserved this and more.

"It's no big deal, Shel… Carls and I already have our hands full with those two, so what's another one?"

Shelby smiled. She loved having amazing friends. Adding them to her grandmother, Wendy, and Megan, she nearly forgot everything that happened to make her what she was. She was happy, but Sam was giving her a weird look.

"What?"

The blonde gave her a lopsided smile.

"You two _are_ planning on coming back, right?"

It took just a second for the words to sink in. Shelby shoved Carly's wife playfully in the chest.

"Oh, shut up!"

They both laughed.

Sam was very happy to hear Shelby's plans in detail. She'd known Wendy nearly as long as she'd known Carly, and it made her happy to know that her friend had not only found her own wonderful one, but that Shelby had the ability and intention to treat Wendy the way that she deserved to be treated. Sam knew that not everyone in the world was as good and kind as her own little Cupcake. The fact that Wendy had found someone who would both treat her well and knew what it meant to love, that was rare. Rarer still was the fact that Wendy and Sam could both choose so perfectly right out of the gate.

Sam was jolted back into reality by a shot upside her head.

"Yo, Puckett… you kinda zoned there for a minute…"

She shot Shelby Marx a snarky look.

"You know how often you have to get up at night to feed that little redheaded monster of yours? Multiply that by two…"

Shelby chuckled. It was weird. She and Sam had come full-circle from where they'd started out. They both had come to realize that they had butted heads so often in the past because they were so very much alike.

Sam laughed as she heard Wendy, Carls, and Melanie walk through the front door. She wished Shelby the best, all the while making sure Wendy had no idea what was going on.

"Hey Shel?"

"Uh huh?"

"Just… you know… you've always got someone to watch the kid…"

Both girls were happy that their partners' excursion into Girly-girl Land had taken longer than anticipated. Had their better halves known how they spent the day, they would both likely have gotten an earful. Neither of them, of course, would have had it any other way.


	20. iReturn Home

**iReturn Home**

The next week flew by. The weekend was _entertaining_, to say the least. By the time Wendy and Shelby arrived back on Mercer Island that Sunday afternoon, it was clear to her parents that Megan Marx had no intention of going peacefully into the good night.

Wendy snatched her little girl up, pulling her from Sam's arms. The little redhead had taken to Mama Puckett very easily. She was a big version of the twins, but she reminded Megan quite a bit of Shelby. All the little girl knew was that she was happy. Wendy was her mother, but she fussed nonetheless.

"Shh… I missed you too…"

It was moments like this that the little Marx girl wished she could tell people exactly what she wanted. It all became moot rather quickly. Carly spoke up.

"Honestly, Samantha… Where are your manners? Come on in, you guys. Make yourselves comfortable."

Wendy and Shelby crossed the threshold into Carly and Sam's cozy living room. Shelby held Wendy around the waist, while Megan held tightly to Wendy's arm and upper chest. The redhead was slightly uncomfortable, but laughed it off just the same.

"Okay, okay, okay… settle down there, Spider Monkey!"

Carly and Sam both laughed, watching the little girl try to scurry up Wendy's arm. Shelby smiled broadly, chuckling.

"She does that a lot…"

Carly ushered her friends to the sofa. She wanted to allow them to relax. It had been a long weekend indeed.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER, OVER COFFEE…**_

Shelby was regaling their friends with the details – or rather the broad strokes – of her anniversary getaway with Wendy to northern California. This was what Shelby Marx did best, if you asked her. She was a great listener. Whatever Wendy wanted, Shelby would do her best to provide, even if it was as simple as a getaway to wine country and a cozy little bed and breakfast. With the retelling, Wendy was gushing all over again.

"Omigod, guys! It was amazing… You _totally_ should go!"

Sam couldn't resist picking on her old friend for being such a girl. Only Carly knew what Sam was really like. Behind closed doors, Sam took down her freak flag and was perfectly willing to let her inner daffodility be put on display.

"Omigod, Wendy, like, _totally_?"

Wendy turned bright red. She knew that Sam was teasing her, but still, this was embarrassing.

"Totally."

Shelby poked her partner in the ribs. Wendy fussed at her. She was busy dividing her time between the grown-up world and watching the kids play together. Their little Spider Monkey had learned to share and play well with others. She decided to continue, regardless of the fact that Shelby was intent on tickling her to death.

"It was an amazing time… We stayed at this adorable little B-and-B that, at one point, had been a winery... Shelby was just awesome…"

Shelby flushed. Now that she could let the façade down and simply be herself twenty-four hours a day, those closest to her knew that the great champion was really nothing more than a soft little girl, when it came down to it. She whined, beyond embarrassed.

"_Wendyyyyy…._"

Carly felt embarrassed for her friend.

"Should we be hearing this?"

Shelby laughed.

"Yeah, it's fine… it's just… she knows… I'm just…"

Shelby couldn't finish the sentence. Wendy's hand was on the inside of her thigh, patting her gently, the way that she usually did when they cozied up every night to watch a movie together. Wendy spoke up, sensing that she'd inadvertently thrown her partner for a loop.

"She hates when I tell people what a great big teddy bear she really is…"

Wendy threw her arms around Shelby's chest, hugging her the way she usually did. Shelby squirmed, not used to this public a display of affection, even with their closest friends.

Carly smiled. It finally sunk in, after all the friendly get-togethers, that Wendy and Shelby really _were_ just like them. Sam and Shelby tried to play the part of _'big, bad, rough, and tough'_, when all they really were was wrapped around their partner's little fingers. What Wendy and Carly wanted, they got. That was all there was to it.

_**LATER THAT EVENING…**_

Shelby should've known better. Carly and Sam had _insisted_ that they stay the rest of the afternoon, relax, and make an evening of it with them. They would join them for dinner, no questions asked. Shelby _did_ love it here, with her lover and their friends. This was, so others told her, what family life felt like. Most people's families were like this, but Shelby was experiencing this – truly – for the first time. She was comfortable there, sandwiched between the former Carly Shay and her own precious little redhead, when her cell phone took her mind off the weepy girly movie on TV. It was one that Carly and Sam had seen two or three times before, but Shelby had put it off, over Wendy's objections. These types of movies simply cut too close to home for her. If she was going to sit through something like this for two-plus hours, there needed to be some sort of payoff for her at the end. A movie like this – which normally put Wendy in _'The Mood'_ – basically was the kiss of death to Shelby's own libido. Where her partner saw kisses and rose petals, Shelby connected to trial and tribulation. It was the ultimate buzz-kill.

She answered the call on the second ring. It took a moment to register in her brain, as the call had come across as _'Restricted'_ on her Caller ID, but when it did, the implication was chilling. It was the alarm company. There had just been a break-in at their beautiful new home. Her blood instantaneously ran cold. The human body had an instinctive response, dating back to the mankind's earliest days. In Shelby's case, however, _'Flight'_ was never an option. She would always be hardwired to fight. She ended the call quickly and bounced to her feet. Wendy had that panicky, deer-in-the-headlights look that always followed a moment of sheer terror. She was afraid for Shelby. She didn't like hearing her talk this way.

The fighter kissed her partner firmly on the forehead. She looked Wendy square in the eye and spoke sternly. Wendy needed to listen. Shelby loved her more than anything, and Wendy absolutely, unequivocally, needed to obey her, just this one time.

"Listen… I love you very, very much… I have to go… You are to stay here with Carly and Sam until I say it's safe, _do you understand me?_"

Sufficed to say, it was plainly clear that Shelby Marx was as serious as a heart attack. Fat tears rolled down Wendy's cheeks. Shelby attempted to kiss them away. She knew she needed to go.

She bounded toward the door, which slammed as she left. Wendy heard the Mustang's engine rev to life. She heard tires squeal, and suddenly – painfully – Shelby was gone.

Wendy Marx collapsed into her friends and sobbed. She prayed that her beloved Shelby knew what she was doing.


	21. iBreak Free

**iBreak Free**

The classic black Mustang screeched to a stop in the driveway of the Marx home. In the five minutes it took her to drive from the Puckett residence to her own, Shelby Marx had died – figuratively speaking – only to be reborn. The carefree young mother had ceased to be. All that was left – for the moment, anyway – was The Terminator.

Shelby's front door was yawning open. It took an awful lot of persistence – or a really good crowbar – to get past a deadbolt. Either way, the question was academic. This was what she had insurance for. The alarm company had, of course, dispatched Seattle's finest. Shelby knew they were en route, but she also knew that, as the homeowner, she was perfectly within her rights to defend herself, her loved ones, and her property. She walked in to the house, fuming.

"I know you're here, Dammit!"

Shelby simply heard her own footfalls on the hardwood. She knew that she was holding all the cards. The cops would be here in a few short minutes and all she needed to do was wait. She had the upper hand. Unlike most cases, she knew her quarry all too well. She was simply astounded at the sheer stupidity of it all. To go all _'Night Stalker'_ was one thing. To have the balls to screw with you – literally – in your own house was quite another. This was, really, no different than the game she played with her opponents before each and every fight. If you got inside your opponent's head, they got sloppy. If they got sloppy, they made mistakes. If they made mistakes, that was what gave you a tactical advantage. She decided to be snarky, smart-mouthed, and condescending. In short, Shelby decided to tear a page from the Sam Puckett playbook.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Shelby could hear police sirens in the distance. This would be easier than she'd expected. The sirens had clearly spooked whoever had defiled her home. All she could see was a tall, decidedly male shadow bearing down on her like a bat out of hell from the hallway that led to the bedroom she shared with her love. She switched into high gear. Shelby Marx the woman was gone. She was simply the fighter.

She was light on the balls of her feet. She reacted by simple muscle memory. Her body knew exactly what to do. Before she realized it had happened, her leg wheeled around, connecting with the man's skull. He went down instantly. For the second time in her life, she'd executed the move with precision.

The Seattle Police Department was now on-scene. Shelby's arms immediately shot skyward. They announced that they were responding to a break-in call. Wide beams from an industrial flashlight panned over the scene. Shelby spoke up, sounding firm, but not defiant. She wanted them to understand.

"This is my home! My partner and I… I…"

"Are you Shelby Marx?"

"Yessir… My wallet is in my back pocket…"

The cop acquiesced, allowing the tall brunette to reach for her rear jeans pocket. She produced a black leather wallet and flipped it open. The Washington driver's license clearly showed her to be Shelby J. Marx, who resided at this exact address, Mercer Island, Washington.

"I came right home when the alarm company called… my partner and I were visiting friends… She's there now…"

The cop waved her off. He was clearly more interested in the broken, bleeding mess that was now occupying Shelby and Wendy Marx's foyer.

From the moment that the bleeding man was yanked to his feet, Shelby's knees were weak. She imagined that this had to be what it felt like to get knocked out. She'd been knocked down before. She'd had her bell rung. She'd fought wars in the ring. She knew very well what a beating felt like, but this was a completely fresh type of Hell. She knew this man.

"You know this man, Miss Marx?"

Shelby could only nod in the affirmative. This man was her father.

_**AFTER THE PARAMEDICS HAD COME AND GONE…**_

Shelby stood on the front porch, rocking shakily, self-soothing. She simply couldn't believe that this man had been stupid enough – on a number of fronts – not to leave well enough alone. She had done everything that she had needed to do. She had no say whatsoever over his release. That had been a formality. He had done his time. His release was a foregone conclusion. Things would be different this time around, she told herself. This time, however, she wasn't a little girl. Shelby Marx was now a grown woman. The victim of her childhood had given way to the controlled rage of her youth, and she was now a fully grown, fully formed, articulate woman. She shared her life and her bed with the single, pure, unadulterated love of her life. They had a baby girl. She would not let _Jack_ hurt her ever again. He would never speak to Wendy. If he ever set eyes on Megan, so help her God, the pretty little girl would be the last sight he would ever see. Shelby couldn't bring herself to apologize to _that man_, because that would mean that she would have to – even in her own mind – forgive him for what he'd done to her. What had killed Shelby Marx the girl and had given birth to Shelby Marx the fighter was inexcusable. She pulled out her phone and dialed.

Wendy answered immediately.

"_It's safe… you and Meg can come home… I love you…"_

Shelby hung up and immediately dialed Sam Puckett's cellular. There was only one thing left to do, and only Sam held the key. She had tried things Sam's way, but Jack Marx had tempted fate and lost. There was only one way now to settle the score.


	22. iBury the Hatchet

**iBury the Hatchet**

Carly waited until Sam was out of the house and safely ensconced at the restaurant before making the first in a series of phone calls. Melanie was downtown, in the studio. She called Freddie instead. He didn't like what she had to say, but heard her out anyway. Of course he'd watch the twins. He thought the girls needed some time with Uncle Freddie to begin with. If she'd let him finish his half a bagel and throw on a pair of jeans, he'd be right over to get them.

That sounded fine. Carly loved him immensely. She loved Sam Puckett with every breath in her body, but Freddie Benson had become a good and decent man. Carly felt doubly blessed that he was – and would always be – a part of her family. Carly told him, point blank, how much she loved him and appreciated all he had ever done for her. She could tell by the awkward pause that Mister Mythical Melanie was blushing. _Boys were so cute sometimes._

Less than a minute after hanging up with Freddie, Carly was on the phone again. She dialed the 509 area code from memory. She had no idea what possessed her to do this, only that the sucking wound inside her chest told her that it needed to be done. Without Sam around, there were moments when Carly Puckett felt utterly broken and vulnerable.

_**IN YAKIMA…**_

The man answered the phone on the first ring. No one really called him anymore, not that he'd really expected them to.

"_Hi, it's Carly…"_

Now _this _was something he never saw coming. He could prepare to fight and die on foreign soil, but this one young girl took his breath away. If he didn't know better, he'd say he was going into shock. He swallowed hard before answering her.

"Hel… Hello, Carlotta…"

Steven Shay _did_ love his daughter. He had been foolish and proud, and it very nearly cost him everything – all because he had been so goddamned stubborn. He said the first thing that popped into his head, which was, in fact, nothing at all.

"So…"

Carly knew that their estrangement had killed her father inside. What the alcohol hadn't killed years ago, lack of family had torn open. She knew she needed to say something.

"_Dad?"_

For the first time in years, it was _'Dad'_ and not _'Colonel'_. It sounded so foreign to the both of them, but Carly knew she had to press on.

"_How are you?"_

"Good, good…." He lied. Steven Shay was nowhere near _'good'_, but he was getting there. He was closing in on a year of sobriety and it felt wonderful.

"How are you? Samantha? How are things?"

This struck Carly as odd, but she answered anyway.

"_We're fine, thank you... Look… The reason I was calling is…"_

Her voice broke, if ever so slightly. She couldn't be like him. She couldn't be like him – the way Sam could be from time to time – closed off on the inside.

"…_I was wondering… could we… I mean… I'd like… could we talk?"_

The man corrected her. They were already talking. This was more than they'd spoken in quite some time. Carly instinctively knew that. Her father was being a goddamned smartass, and she told him so. She wasn't his little girl anymore, although, if nothing else, she hoped that they could talk, as adults, and perhaps become – _she wasn't sure_ – friends.

The Colonel said that he knew that that was far more than he deserved, given the hell he'd put her through as a child, but, if she were willing to try, that he would like that very, very much.

_**LATER THAT MORNING…**_

A dark SUV pulled into Carly and Sam's driveway. A light, misty rain fell as he exited the vehicle. Not knowing what to wear on this occasion, Steven Shay had fallen back on what he knew best – his dress uniform.

Carly met him at the front door. They both simply stood there for a long moment, neither knowing what to say. The brunette swallowed hard, allowing the lump rising in her throat to subside. She bade him entry into the home that she and Sam shared. The Colonel didn't know what to say. He walked through the foyer, admiring the dozens of snapshots of the young couple, all in their own individual frames. This, coupled with the photos of the young twins, made a significant impression on the older man. It was something his mind had never allowed him to consider up until this point. His daughter truly had made a life with this woman, such as it was. It wasn't the life he'd envisioned for her when she was small, but it was _her_ life, nonetheless. They sat on the sofa and talked, tenuous at first, but the words came easier in time. The older man looked around the room. Always being a man of status, he was impressed.

"So…" he began, "…this is all very impressive, Carlotta…"

Carly could read the old man like a book. She knew that a _'but'_ would be forthcoming, or else some other derisive putdown. She didn't want to fight with him, but she would defend her family to the last if he really wanted to go there.

"But _what_, Daddy?"

The Colonel looked into his daughter's eyes, thoroughly confused.

"But nothing, Sweetheart… nothing…"

She let it drop, not fully trusting him.

"We've been fortunate…"

Carly could tell what he was really getting at. Her father was under the impression that Carly and Sam had sold the apartment at Bushwell Plaza to finance a high life in what he considered the lap of luxury. She jumped in, before it degenerated into a fight.

"If you want to know, just ask! We've still got the apartment, but this was… basically… it was a wedding gift. I don't want to fight with you, Daddy, but my life is my life!"

Steven Shay knew that they'd gotten off on the wrong foot. He didn't care about the apartment, this beautiful home on Mercer Island, or anything else, for that matter. All he wanted to know was that his daughter was happy. He put his hand gently on his daughter's knee. It was nothing more than a gut reaction. He wanted her to understand.

"I know that, Sweetheart… I simply meant… it's beautiful… I'm happy for you."

Carly could see that the man was sincere, or, at the very least, sincere for him. She softened. She realized that the man had honestly, fundamentally changed. He had seen the light and had a come-to-Jesus moment. She let him continue talking.

"Where are the girls?"

Carly flushed. This was the first time she had ever heard him take an interest in his grandchildren.

"They're with Freddie…"

The old man was surprised. From what he'd remembered, Freddie Benson didn't strike him as particularly paternal. Carly explained the dynamics of that relationship. Freddie wasn't only her childhood friend, but he had married Sam's twin sister, if he'd remember. Freddie and Melanie had been beyond wonderful, and Carly felt that she owed them the entire world.

Steven Shay had hugged his daughter for the first time in what had to be years. He'd forgotten. Looking up, he caught their reflections in the long mirror above the fireplace. He had no idea whether it was working or simply ornamental. It was irrelevant. He could give a damn about the fireplace. What he'd seen in the mirror was what captivated him.

He was old. He was an old man. It finally sunk in. He was no longer that which he pretended to be. The decorated military man had gone the way of the dinosaur. Now, he was simply Steven Shay, widower, father of two grown children, and, if his beautiful daughter and her partner would allow it, grandfather of twins. He prayed that it would all come in due course. He didn't care. His daughter was resting her head against his chest for the first time since she was a little girl. It was an absolutely indescribable feeling. He wanted it to continue forever.

Carly, for her part, had no idea what had come over her, but her father seemed to be decent and sincere for the first time since she could remember. Melanie and Ted Franklin had told her that God was beautiful and merciful. She felt inclined to trust her heart and show the Colonel the gifts she had inherited from her late mother. Today, the Colonel would receive mercy, compassion and selflessness. It was all that she had to give.


	23. iPay a Visit

**iPay a Visit**

Shelby paced the halls of Harborview Medical Center. She wasn't here by choice. She'd accompanied the police and paramedics as her nearly comatose father had been brought in the night before. She'd been escorted by two of Seattle's finest, not in police custody, but rather as the complaining witness in the attempted burglary charge that Shelby insisted on pressing.

In the day since the incident, the fighter had pressed charges and filed the necessary papers to receive a harrassment restraining order, which would prohibit Jack Marx from coming within one thousand feet of one Shelby Jane Marx, her residence, place or places of business, and barred him from direct or third-party contact. Shelby had instructed Wendy to file as well, both for herself and on Megan's behalf. Shelby wasn't taking any chances. This man had already taken enough of her mind, body, and soul. Now, Shelby wanted to reclaim a pound of flesh for herself.

The former CFC world champion was shaking in her shoes. This man had very nearly destroyed her all those years ago. She pushed the trauma of his return from her mind. She had other things to be concerned with now. Now, she was one riled up Mama Bear who wanted to tear the man limb from limb for entering her most sacred space – the home she shared with her wife and daughter – in search of some degree of absolution. This man would have no absolution. Shelby Marx was most assuredly a religious woman. Her grandmother had instilled that in her at an early age. She prayed for protection each and every time that she climbed into the ring. Given the hell that she'd witnessed when she was small, there was no question in the fighter's mind that good and evil were more than abstract concepts. She was fundamentally cognizant of the existance of a higher power. She simply disagreed with Melanie Benson about the nature of that higher power. In her own experience, Shelby put her faith in a vengeful God.

_**TWENTY MINUTES LATER…**_

Shelby came back to Earth with the arrival of most everyone she wanted to see. She was smothered by a massive group hug, consisting chiefly of Wendy, Sam Puckett, and her twin. She was the center of Shelby's world, but the champion was none-too-happy to see her precious little redhead at the moment. She looked her dead in the eye and scowled.

"Goddamn you, Wendy Sue… You simply _don't listen!_"

Melanie Benson spoke up.

"She insisted on coming with us…"

The fighter shook her head. This simply would not do. She looked to Sam's twin. She didn't get the words out before Sam butted in. Melanie didn't even bat an eyelash. She knew that Sam was as serious as a heart attack. She felt her sister's hand on her arm, as though to underscore the point.

"Take her somewhere…"

Melanie knew what was coming. She knew that her sister was Shelby's secret confidant. She could hear the words that Shelby dare not speak aloud. Shelby loved Wendy too much to make her privvy to certain things. She knew what her role was here. She was the shill in the most basic con imaginable. The purpose of Mythical Melanie was to distract, confuse, and redirect. She took Wendy by the hand and headed for the elevators.

"Come on, Sweety, let's go get a cup of coffee…"

Wendy Marx didn't feel like arguing. She let herself be led by her famous friend – the one cut from the very same stone as Carly's wife. They waited for the elevator to whisk them away into the depths of the building. Wendy was so happy that Melanie's husband was looking after Megan. Mythical Melanie truly had '_one of the good ones'_.

_**BACK ON MERCER ISLAND…**_

Carly loved time like this. She and Freddie rarely got to spend time alone, and they both rather enjoyed it. She knew that it was slightly awkward, but she simply felt compelled. They were there on the sofa, watching little children play with blocks on the carpet. She leaned over, kissed his cheek, and tousled his hair.

"Again, thank you for everything, Freddie… I can't ever thank you and Mel enough for everything… really…"

Freddie Benson held his sister-in-law loosely, his arm around her shoulders. She would always be special.

"Don't mention it. Did Sam say when they'd be back?"

"No… All I know is that Wendy was worried about Shelby… They can't be too long, I wouldn't think…"

Carly rested her head against Freddie. The goatee he'd been attempting to grow tickled her. She rested her head against him, just the way Melanie typically did, and shut her eyes. Little girls were a drain on your internal batteries.

_**BACK AT THE HOSPITAL…**_

The elevator nearest to Jack Marx's room dinged. The doors yawned open and three very large men, all impeccably dressed, stepped from the box to the floor. One by one, they all nodded in Samantha Puckett's direction. They wanted to pay her the proper respect.

"Maam… Maam… Maam…"

Sam ignored them. Two of the men entered Jack Marx's hospital room, while one remained outside. Following closely behind the last of the men was a much older gentleman. His skin was deeply tanned and his suit clearly much more expensive. He threw Sam into a tight embrace, then broke it, turning his attention to her lady-friend, the retired prizefighter.

Carmine Puckett spoke in a gentle, hushed tone, his English punctuated by the hint of an accent.

"My deepest sympathies, young lady… I apologize for all the harm that's been done to you. My niece speaks quite highly of you… I must tell you, it pains me deeply – these sins that have been visited upon you. There's simply no reasoning with some people. Sadly, this man did not realize that sins have consequences. Perhaps he will listen to reason this time around, No?"

It was clear to Shelby what the old man was saying. He wouldn't do what Shelby had originally asked, but Jack Marx simply needed a bit of _persuasion…_ Perhaps a _'discussion'_ with Carmine Puckett would put the fear of God into him. Perhaps now he would simply leave well enough alone.

Carmine looked to his niece, speaking to her, knowing she was capable of reading between the lines.

"Samantha, why don't you take your lady-friend and… _go for a walk_…"

She nodded slowly as Carmine stepped into the hospital room. Jack Marx was awake and alert. As his niece walked away, the taller girl in tow, Carmine Puckett casually shut the door behind him.


	24. iLook Forward

**iLook Forward**

It was an exceedingly busy day at _Il Terrazzo Carmine_ that Sunday morning. It should have been a day of rest. Typically, even God took the day off. Today, however, had to be different. Sam had ordered the large dining room be stripped and cleared out following the close of business Saturday night. She knew that closing down the restaurant for a day was the only way to get anything done, so that was simply what she had to do.

She gave a wide berth to the two professional artists in the room. Wendy and Spencer attacked different portions of the room, both working off enlargements of Wendy's initial drawing. It didn't entirely fit an Italian restaurant, but Sam had approved it in Carmine's name. So it was written, so too, should it be done.

Wendy had borrowed from fantasy, myth, legend, and ancient history for the mural she'd designed, which wrapped around three of the dining room's four walls. It was a massive undertaking. It was ostentatious. It was far beyond anything she ever _should_ have attempted, but she insisted on going at it, full bore. There was a mystery here. There was a mystery here, inside an enigma, wrapped in a riddle. Wendy felt incredibly proud of herself for having constructed it the way she had.

In the scene that was taking shape on the walls, an outdoor scene merged into a flowing stylization of Leonardo's _Last Supper_. It was Sam's idea to combine all three of these elements – the fantastic, the mythical, and the historical – into one larger work.

The garden, representing, simultaneously, a world of fantasy and the biblical Garden of Paradise, was home to a number of legendary and mythological figures, never coexisting except in the mind of Wendy Marx.

Resting there, at the foot of the Tree of Knowledge, were the goddesses Artemis and Athena, seemingly caring for a pair of small children, blonde over blue. The mythical Pan is elsewhere, playing the flute. A bright ray of sunshine pierced the clouds, symbolic, of course, of the Creator of the world.

The next scene depicts Rome. There was a gladiator in the arena. A young sculptor, chisel in hand, worked a block of marble. A young woman faced a canvas, capturing the portrait of a mother and child. There, on the balcony, was a man – presumably the young Galileo Galilei – with a telescope pointed skyward.

Wendy was quite proud of herself. She had never imagined this degree of talent lay within her.

_**MEANWHILE, IN THE OFFICE…**_

A sheet of paper spit out of the fax machine onto Sam's desk. The fax was addressed not to Sam, but to young Shelby Marx. The header bore the name and phone number of an office supply store in Miami. The message was short and to the point, written in a heavy, severe cursive.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Miss Marx,<strong>_

_**Was a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Should you ever require anything further, you need only ask. It is understood that you are now very much spoken for.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Carmine**_

* * *

><p>There it was, in black and white. Carmine had allowed Shelby's father to see the light. He had made clear to Jack that even for those who lived outside of the law, there were rules that had to be obeyed. They had laws of their own that must be enforced. There had been an unauthorized transgression within the House of Carmine. Carmine may be an old man, but one thing he was not was stupid. He was feeling charitable. Jack would continue to breathe if he agreed to something of an <em>'extended holiday'<em>. Carmine had a family too, and it was his family that Jack had encroached upon. This made it clear, though not in so many words, that Shelby Marx would never have a sleepless night again.

_**BACK IN THE MAIN ROOM…**_

Sam held Carly close, looping her arm around the brunette's waist. They both admired Wendy and Spencer's collaboration.

"Whatcha think, Cupcake?"

Carly blushed. She had only seen bits and pieces of this, but to view it as a whole was something altogether different.

"It's… wow, Sam…"

Those were Sam's thoughts entirely. She knew Wendy was talented. That was precisely why she had paid Wendy so handsomely for her work. Sam knew fully well that Wendy could deliver as promised. She was, however, more than a little embarrassed by her depiction as the goddess Artemis, though having a brunette Athena by her side had made the depiction far more flattering.

Wendy, like all good artists, had hidden clues to her true intent throughout the sprawling work. They were all there, in one form or another – Sam, Carly, their girls, Freddie and Melanie, Spencer, Shelby, Wendy, and their own little girl.

Sam was very proud of the finished product. This had most definitely earned Wendy Marx a handsome bonus. Carly rested her head on her partner's shoulder. Sam spoke to her, as though they were admiring an oil-on-canvas in a gallery.

"Hey Cupcake?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think? Is it too over the top?"

Carly considered this for a moment and chuckled quietly to herself.

"Yeah, but it's still pretty. Who cares what other people think, so long as we're happy with it, right?"

Sam considered this for a moment. She was rather happy that Spencer, Wendy, and Shelby had cleared out, leaving them with a little bit of _'alone time'_. Sam knew she hadn't been as attentive to her wife's needs as she should have been. She craned her head and kissed Carly flush on the cheek.

"I love you, Carls…"

Carly spoke up, barely above a whisper.

"I know you do…"

They were happy here, together. They were simply enjoying the moment. They knew that they had all the time in the world for each other, beginning again tonight.

_**LATER THAT EVENING, ON MERCER ISLAND…**_

This tore it. She loved her, but she was furious nonetheless.

"Goddammit, Shelby! You promised me! No!"

"I promised you that I wouldn't fight anymore, Baby… and I haven't. This is business… This is to make some money…"

"What? Isn't the TV money enough? What more do we need that we can't possibly have otherwise? We have each other… We have Megan…"

Wendy adored Shelby, but she simply didn't understand.

"Why, Shelby? Just tell me why…"

Shelby looked down at the legal papers that were spread across the kitchen table. She swallowed hard and looked up at her beautiful redhead.

There were tears flowing from her eyes.

"Honey…. Don't you understand? The TV show, the commentary, _THIS…_ these are things that I do to make sure that people don't forget me… these are things that I do…"

Her voice broke, but she continued speaking.

"… These are things that I do… to… to get… just a little taste of what it's like… to be… _what I was_…"

There was the truth. In addition to being Wendy's wife, Megan's mama, and Carly and Sam's friend, Shelby would always identify with being The Fighter.

Wendy swallowed hard and exhaled.

"Fine..."

She walked over to her partner, throwing her arms tightly around her waist.

"I love you, Shelby…"

Wendy broke their embrace for a split second, simply long enough to grab the pen off the table, sign her name, and set the pen back down on there mess of papers.

"There… Happy?"

Shelby smiled. Wendy knew she was. Shelby had the one thing she needed before she could move ahead. She had Wendy's approval. Now, all that was left was to close on the purchase, begin rehabbing the building, and get back to work.

_**FIVE MINUTES AWAY…**_

Carly came out of the girls' bedroom. She had just put them down for the evening. She flopped down on the sofa next to Sam.

"I love you, Sam… I don't tell you that often enough…"

Sam flushed.

"Of course you do, Carls…"

They would go back and forth like this for another ten minutes. That was always the way. Sam decided to cut to the chase. She leaned in and gave Carly a quick kiss.

"Sam!"

"Carls… They're down the hall and too young to know… they'll be asleep in two minutes anyway…"

Carly realized that it was futile to fight the blonde headed demon. She realized that Sam was a hundred percent right. They _were_ parents now, but they still needed time to themselves. It really didn't matter anymore anyway. Sam already had her seeing stars.


	25. iBirthday Party

**iBirthday Party**

It was a beautiful morning on Mercer Island, if a bit on the cool side. Carly and Sam were absolutely ecstatic. Sam was racing around the house like a mad woman, barking orders, just as she usually did. It was Carly's responsibility to nip at Sam's heels, contradicting her orders, and telling her precious blonde to settle her ass down.

Sam whined at her.

"_But Carls!"_

"Sam! They're a year old… Seriously!"

Carly had a point. Their girls were celebrating their first birthday, and Sam, being Sam, had gone more than a little insane.

There were balloons all over the house. There were four cakes in the kitchen, all made from scratch by Carly, Sam, Freddie, and Melanie. There were three matching, individual cakes, plus a large sheet cake, meant to accommodate the short guest list. They were expecting more people than Carly would have liked, but it was the girls' first birthday. She figured they had the space to make everyone comfortable.

The doorbell rang. Freddie and Melanie were here. Carly was beside herself. She couldn't possibly be happier to have extra hands on deck.

"_Thank God…"_ she thought. Freddie and Melanie knew well enough to let themselves in. By the time she'd reached the front of the house again, Freddie had thrown the front door wide open. Melanie, her hands full with expertly wrapped presents, called out the entire household in her usually cheery tone.

"Knock, knock, Party people! Where are my little birthday girls?"

Sam rolled her eyes at her twin sister.

"They're… you know… around here somewhere…"

Carly felt sick to her stomach.

"What? You lost our babies, Samantha?"

"Chillax, Cupcake! Kidding!"

As if on cue, the twins toddled into the front room from their shared bedroom, holding hands. They were dressed adorably, Melanie thought. This was clearly Carly's doing. Sam would never have put her girls in matching pink overalls, with little barrettes in their hair.

"Oh, how precious you two are!"

Melanie dumped the gifts into the arms of her husband. He let out a weak protest. He knew it would do no good. When she was with the family, Melanie had blinders on. She loved those little people more than anything.

The little twins toddled into Auntie Melanie's arms, giggling happily. Carly looked on from the kitchen, smiling. She was beyond happy. She couldn't believe that her girls had been here an entire year already. She truly felt like a mommy. Somewhere, she knew, her own mother was looking down on her, smiling. She knew that her mom would be proud of her.

_**AN HOUR LATER, IN THE BACK YARD…**_

As much as all of this had come together nicely, it certainly was over the top. Carly had _tried_ to remind Sam that they would be doing this over and over again, every year, but Sam Puckett did the only thing that she knew how to do – she wanted to give her girls everything that she hadn't had growing up.

There were tables of adults sitting there, snacking on cake, ice cream, and, of course, cupcakes. Sam wanted to keep the adults happy as best she knew how. They were an eclectic mix, but they were a thrown-together collection of people, bound together by their importance to this couple, regardless. Thankfully, they'd all thought this was an important enough occasion to turn up for.

Crammed into a small card table set up on the back deck, Spencer sat with his new girlfriend, T-Bo, Socko, and his father. He was having a ball. He was a big kid at heart, so, from his point of view, what wasn't to love?

They had just finished singing happy birthday to the twins, plus the little redheaded Marx girl. Everyone – _even Pam Puckett_ – was enjoying themselves.

Carly looked between her partner and their friends as a miniature food fight broke out between their girls. Megan had grabbed a handful of cake, which ended up all over Ashley's chin. Little Melanie gave the redhead a stern look, and got a lump of frosting tossed at her for her troubles.

Wendy Marx laughed.

"Looks like we've got our hands full here…"

Shelby cuddled close to Wendy. She was enjoying this. She finally felt like she'd amounted to something for the first time in her life. She knew – finally – what she was meant to be. She realized, at long last, that she was meant to be so much more than a fighter. She could relax, settle down for once in her life, and be what she was meant to be – a mom.

Wendy shot her love a silly look. Shelby knew immediately that she was in for an earful. This was Wendy's _'Pick on Shelby'_ face.

"This is all your fault, you know… our little girl's going to take after her mama… She's going to be a big ol' roughneck…"

Shelby did all she could to keep from laughing. She stuck her tongue out at Wendy. This was typical of the way they played around.

_**LATER THAT EVENING…**_

The six friends sat around Freddie and Melanie's patio, enjoying drinks and small talk. Melanie was giving everyone a rundown of her recording schedule for the new album. Freddie had agreed to go into the _other_ family business and join Sam part-time in the kitchen at _Il Terrazzo Carmine_, spending the rest of his time around the house, babysitting his nieces as needed. Carly was content with her work-from-home arrangement, while Wendy and Shelby had gone into detail about the latest development in their lives – _Shelby Marx Mixed Martial Arts_. Shelby had just taken ownership of the former Seattle Fight Club, where she had spent her formative years training. She had plenty of wisdom to impart, thanks to her years in the ring, and – from her point of view – the up-and-comers in the sport would very likely pay top dollar to train at the right hand of the youngest champion, male or female, that the sport had ever known.

Sam spoke up.

"You know, if you need anything…"

Carly spoke up, poking fun at the one she loved.

"Samantha, _please,_ this isn't a pie-eating contest…"

Everyone laughed. Everyone, that is, except Shelby Marx.

"Well, you know, Puckett… I may just hold you to that…"

Carly, Melanie, Freddie, and Wendy looked amongst themselves. They had no idea what was going on between Shelby Marx's ears. Sam Puckett, however, simply locked eyes with the former champion, now her closest friend.

"You're on, Marx…"

The friends thought nothing further of it. They were content with each others' company and in the fact that all they collectively held dear slept no more than twenty-five feet away, in the Bensons' guest bedroom.


	26. iEpilogue

**iEpilogue**

_**FOUR YEARS LATER…**_

It was late in the evening – _'late'_ from a business point of view. Shelby's last training session had ended nearly two hours ago. She had driven to _Il Terrazzo Carmine_, picked Sam up, and returned to the gym. The pair of old friend hit the door, already in the midst of a heated discussion.

"You owe me a favor, Puckett!"

"What favor?"

"Just trust me…"

"You're insane, you know that, Marx?"

Shelby laughed it off.

"That remains to be seen, but you owe me, Puckett…"

Sam Puckett would never be seen as someone who'd welch on a bet.

"Yeah, fine, whatever…"

It was then that she saw it. There, in the middle of the floor, only steps away from the door to the women's locker room, was a duffel bag. Sam knew that only could mean one thing, but her brain hadn't yet processed things out that far.

"What the...?"

"You yourself said you were the best…"

Shelby shot her friend a look, and raised her eyebrow.

_**TEN MINUTES LATER…**_

Sam stepped to the ring apron, holding the ropes open wide for Shelby.

"Age before beauty…"

Shelby snickered as her friend climbed through the ropes.

"You know, Sam, maybe this isn't such a good idea… You know, I don't wanna hurt you…"

Sam took it as an affont.

"_Oh, yeah, right, Marx…_ My mama hit me harder…"

Shelby was now bouncing around in the corner opposite Sam. The juices were flowing again. This was all in good fun.

"Yo, Puckett?"

"Yeah?"

Sam was clearly annoyed. Her friend had an incredibly loud personality.

Shelby smirked at the blonde, coyly.

"You wanna ring the bell?"

Shelby Marx was such an ass.

Sam's eyes narrowed into slits. Her friend was enjoying this a bit too much. Sam spoke. Ice water was running through her veins.

"Ding, Ding…"

The two women stalked each other around the ring for a brief moment talking trash to one another.

"This is insanely crazy, Shelby, you know that, right?"

"Keep talkin', blondie…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… just bring it on… Too bad I'll need to send you home to Wendy in pieces…"

The two friends were enjoying this. They were both creatures of ego – strong, _Type A_ personalities.

They each took a swing, connecting within microseconds of one another. The fight would be called a draw.


End file.
